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EXTRAGALACTIC STAR FORMATION
My research aims to understand the evolution of starburst galaxies and how the physical processes occurring there differ from those in the Milky Way. Through a combination of radio continuum and line data as well as chemical and radiative transfer modeling, I work to constrain the physical conditions and processes associated with star formation in extreme environments.
HCN and HNC as Heating Tracers
My most recent work (which can be found here on arXiv) investigates the use of HCN and HNC to trace interstellar heating related to star formation. Using ALCHEMI measurements of the HCN and HNC ground-vibrational 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3 transitions In NGC 253, I constrain chemical and radiative transfer models to find the best estimates of the physical conditions in the NGC 253 Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs). We find that volume density and cosmic ray ionization rate are constrained by our observations and that cosmic ray heating dominates the heating budget In NGC 253's Central Molecular Zone.
The NGC 253 Central Molecular Zone. White circles indicate the locations of GMCs. Colored circles denote radio continuum sources associated with star formation.
Top: Number of heating sources in each GMC. Bottom: Estimated density and cosmic ray Ionization rate (scaled by zeta_0 = 1.36e-17 /s) for each GMC.
GALACTIC STAR FORMATION
I also do research which uses chemical tracers to probe star formation on much smaller scales within our own galaxy. One focus of mine has been the IRAS 7 triple system In Perseus, which hosts 3 protostars (at least 2 of which have companions) and exhibits complex kinematics. With the help of radio data across multiple size scales, I'm using N2H+ to try to understand the chaotic formation history of this triple system.
Left: N2H+ 1--0 moment-0 map of IRAS 7 core, including protostars Per 18, Per 21, and Per 49. Red ellipses indicate locations of radio continuum knots associated with the protostars.
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