University of Maryland
Principal Research Scientist
I study comets, especially their dust properties, activity, and transient behaviors like outbursts. With Rubin Observatory and LSST, we expect the discoveries of many new Solar System comets and potentially cometary interstellar objects. Characterizing these discoveries through LSST data and follow-up observations will help us understand how small Solar System objects evolve and which of their present-day properties can be traced back to their formation environments. Relevant topics include cometary outburst/fragmentation/disintegration discovery, dynamics, and causes; cometary nucleus surface properties and evolution; and the activity distribution of cometary objects. I am also interested in the development of software tools that can assist the LSST Solar System Science Collaboration by enhancing Rubin Observatory data.