The evolution of our universe. Black holes and neutron stars. Extreme astrophysical events.
I study some of the most exotic objects and phenomena in the universe by analyzing gravitational-wave data. Gravitational waves are “ripples in spacetime” predicted by Einstein, and they carry information about the incredible collisions of black holes and neutron stars that occurred in distant galaxies hundreds of millions of light years away.
Compact Object Populations
When black holes and/or neutron stars orbit and collide with each other, they emit gravitational waves that we can detect. I work with the LIGO Scientific Collaboration to analyze these gravitational wave signals and characterize the populations of merging black holes and neutron stars in the universe. I also connect the observed gravitational waves with theoretical simulations of stellar populations to test astrophysical models.
Gravitational Waves
and Light
When two black holes and/or neutron stars collide, they may also create a massive explosion in space that is observable with telescopes. I work with a team of astronomers, including the Dark Energy Survey, to point instruments at the regions of sky where gravitational waves are coming from. By detecting light in concert with gravitational waves, we can learn more about neutron stars, the history of the universe, and the formation of the elements.
Statistics and
Machine Learning
Methods from statistics, data science, and machine learning are essential tools for making sense of the wealth of observed and simulated astronomy data at our disposal. Along with collaborators, I have developed techniques to emulate expensive astrophysics simulations, to non-parametrically analyze populations of black holes, and to measure the expansion rate of the universe using gravitational waves and light.