I study planets that wander between stars and look for astronomical clues to the nature of dark matter.
I’m a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland, currently on leave for a year at Dartmouth College. I’m also a research affiliate at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
When a rogue planet passes in front of a distant star, its gravity briefly magnifies the starlight. What could these rare events tell us about the worlds between stars?
Illustration by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Two galaxy clusters have passed through each other. Their hot gas slowed down, but most of their mass kept going. I use collisions like this to ask how dark matter particles interact.
Image and credits at the Chandra X-ray Center
William DeRocco