Young Circumstellar Disks: Exoplanet Diagnostics

John Wisniewski博士被授予NSF天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，以在华盛顿大学开展一项研究和教育计划。Wisniewski博士将回答两个基本问题，以促进我们对系外行星形成和早期演化的理解：1)尘埃颗粒如何在原行星盘中生长和演化？2)碎片盘系统中长周期和短周期系外行星的结构是什么？他将使用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图，以使他能够研究尘埃如何从颗粒大小的颗粒演化到行星的构成块--行星体。Wisniewski博士还将使用高对比度成像技术和高精度天体测量学来寻找碎片盘系统中存在长周期和短周期系外行星的证据。此外，Wisniewski博士还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。他将开发一套与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来定量衡量这些练习的有效性，并通过他将作为研究员教授的课程进行现场测试。威斯涅夫斯基博士还将制定一个名为“系外行星多样性：天文学多样性”的天文馆外展项目，面向初中生，突出迄今探测到的系外行星和系外行星系统的多样性，以及做出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.