Young Circumstellar Disks: Exoplanet Diagnostics

约翰·维斯涅夫斯基博士被授予美国国家科学基金会天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，在华盛顿大学开展一项研究和教育计划。Wisniewski博士将解决两个问题，这两个问题将有助于我们进一步了解系外行星的形成和早期演化：1)尘埃颗粒是如何在原行星盘中生长和演化的？2)长周期和短周期系外行星在碎片盘系统中的结构是什么？他将使用基于地面和空间的多波长高对比度成像技术来绘制原行星盘中尘埃的空间和大小分布，使他能够研究尘埃如何从颗粒大小的颗粒演变为星子，行星的基石。维斯涅夫斯基博士还将使用高对比度成像技术和高精度天体测量技术，在碎片盘系统中寻找长周期和短周期系外行星的证据。此外，Wisniewski博士将把他的系外行星研究整合到两个核心教育和公共宣传活动中。他将开发一套系外行星相关的主动学习练习，用于大学入门课程，开发相应的评估工具，以定量衡量这些练习的有效性，并通过他作为研究员教授的课程进行现场测试。Wisniewski博士还将开发一个“系外行星的多样性：天文学的多样性”天文馆外展项目，目标是中学生，该项目突出了迄今为止发现的系外行星和系外行星系统的多样性，以及发现这些发现的天文学家的多样性。

Dr. John Wisniewski is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the University of Washington. Dr. Wisniewski will address two questions fundamental to advancing our understanding of the formation and early evolution of exoplanets: 1) How do dust grains grow and evolve in protoplanetary disks?; and 2) What is the architecture of long- and short-period exoplanets in debris-disk systems? He will use ground- and space-based multi-wavelength high-contrast imaging techniques to map the spatial and size distribution of dust in protoplanetary disks to enable him to investigate how dust evolves from particle-size grains to planetesimals, the building blocks of planets. Dr. Wisniewski will also use high-contrast imaging techniques and high-precision astrometry to search for evidence of long- and short-period exoplanets in debris-disk systems.Additionally, Dr. Wisniewski will integrate his exoplanet research into two core education and public outreach activities. He will develop a suite of exoplanet-related active-learning exercises for use in introductory college courses, develop corresponding assessment tools to measure quantitatively the effectiveness of these exercises, and site-test them via courses he will teach as a Fellow. Dr. Wisniewski will also develop a "Diversity in Exoplanets: Diversity in Astronomy" planetarium outreach program, targeted at middle- through high-school students, which highlights both the diverse nature of exoplanets and exoplanetary systems detected to date and the diverse nature of the astronomers making these discoveries.