Planet Embryos in Vortex Wombs: Protoplanetary Disks and the Formation of Planetesimals

ast - 0302146 -深峡谷,JosephDr。Barranco获得了美国国家科学基金会天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，在加州大学圣巴巴拉分校的Kavli理论物理研究所和哈佛-史密森天体物理中心开展了一个研究和教育项目。他将从事综合理论、计算、观测和实验计划，研究原行星盘的动力学和其中行星形成的过程。高分辨率无线电（毫米和亚毫米）观测尘埃发射可以用来构建非轴对称特征的详细地图，如漩涡、团块、环形弧和翘曲。巴兰科博士将使用三维双流体模拟来模拟观测到的非轴对称现象的气体和尘埃动力学。目的是确定气流中的相干结构是否可以在粒子浓度中产生相干结构，并阐明这在第一代星子的形成中起什么作用。除了他的研究，巴兰科博士将与代数项目合作，这是一个国家数学素养计划。代数项目的重点是帮助低收入学生和有色人种学生（特别是非洲裔和拉丁裔学生）在初中/初中掌握代数，这远远早于大多数城市/农村学区的预期。他将开发一门基于代数的物理和天文学课程，以补充他们的课程目标，即数学素养，同时培养对物理科学的兴趣、直觉、欣赏和激情。*＊*

AST-0302146Barranco, JosephDr. Barranco is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and then at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He will pursue an integrated theoretical, computational, observational, and experimental program to study the dynamics of protoplanetary disks and the process of planet formation within them. High-resolution radio (millimeter and submillimeter) observations of dust emission can be used to construct detailed maps of non-axisymmetric features such as vortices, clumps, ring arcs and warps. Dr. Barranco will use three-dimensional, two-fluid simulations to model the gas and dust dynamics of the observed non-axisymmetric phenomena. The goal is to determine whether coherent structures in the gas flow can generate coherent structures in the particle concentration, and to elucidate what role this plays in the formation of the first generation of planetesimals. In addition to his research, Dr. Barranco will collaborate with the Algebra Project, a national mathematics literacy program. The Algebra Project focuses on helping low-income students and students of color (particularly African-American and Latino students) master algebra in middle school/junior high school, far earlier than the expectations of most urban/rural school districts. He will develop an algebra-based physics and astronomy curriculum that complements the goals of their program, namely math literacy, yet at the same time develops interest, intuition, appreciation, and perhaps passion, for the physical sciences. ***