Research
Planet Formation |
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Planets form in disks of gas and dust around young stars. By studying these circumstellar disks we can learn about the initial conditions for planet formation, and trace the evolution of young planetary systems as they evolve and interact with their natal material. |
X-ray Binary Populations |
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The properties of X-ray sources in nearby galaxies can tell us about the star formation history of those galaxies. We investigate these sources with a particular emphasis on X-ray binaries that harbor stellar-mass black holes. |
Transiting Exoplanets |
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The Wesleyan Transiting Exoplanet Project (WesTEP) utilizes the on-campus 24-inch Perkin Telescope to observe the light curves of stars as their planets transit, and the largest telescopes in the world to take spectra of the transiting exoplanet's atmosphere. (image from the NASA TRACE mission) Learn more > |
Local Interstellar Medium |
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Spectra of the nearest stars are analyzed in order to reconstruct a three-dimensional morphological model of the gas and dust in our immediate cosmic neighborhood. (image from NASA, Hubble Heritage Team) Learn more > |
Planetary Science Group |
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A collaboration between the Astronomy department and Earth and Environmental Science, we work together in a study of the origin of planetary systems, planetary geology and geochemistry and the application of remote sensing to terrestrial environmental problems. |
Galaxy Formation Theory |
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Galaxies form through the interaction of gas, dark matter, stars, and black holes. Numerical simulation of these processes can help us understand the physics involved. |
Intermediate-Mass Black Holes |
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The discovery and study of black holes in the centers of low-mass dwarf galaxies provides new insight into the common processes by which galaxies and black holes evolve. |
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Structure and Evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei |
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Investigations of nearby AGNs reveal their structure within a few light years of the massive black holes that power them and how these objects have evolved over cosmic time. |
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Photometry of T Tauri stars |
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The T Tauri project monitors pre-main sequence stars in the Orion nebula and NGC2264. |
Wesleyan University fully complies with all NASA policies regarding nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunities. Additional information may be found in this document:NASA_Title_VI_et_al_Brochure.pdf