The Ancient
of Days, by William Blake (1794)
Research Interests
My main astronomical interests are in the processes of star and planet
formation, in the dynamics and thermodynamics of the interstellar
medium, and in the structure and evolution of spiral galaxies. I have
studied, among other issues, binary star formation; protostellar disk
accretion and disk-protoplanet interactions; dust settling in
proto-planet-forming disks; formation and
structure of protostellar jets, winds, and outflows; structure,
kinematics, and evolution of turbulent molecular clouds; galactic-scale
origins of star-forming clouds; causes and effects of turbulence in the
diffuse interstellar medium;
development of spiral-arm spurs;
and the global regulation of star formation.
I am also interested in aspects of astrophysical hydrodynamics and
magnetohydrodynamics
that have cross-cutting application in many astronomical systems,
including
the phenomenon of MHD turbulence, and the physics of magnetized
accretion disks and winds.
My research focus is theoretical, with technical work involving
both
analytic and numerical solution of hydro- and MHD flow problems to
model astrophysical systems, and development of detailed observational
diagnostics from these models.
Selected Research Projects:
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