I study low-mass evolved (old) stars just before they die. Although this phase of stellar evolution is relatively brief, it is during this time that these stars swell up (radii as big as Jupiter's orbit!) and lose mass from their surface. It is thought that the main driver of the mass loss process in these stars is radiation pressure on dust. These evolved stars are also interesting because they are so luminous. This makes them observable in many external galaxies, so they are used to derive properties of other galaxies and even our own Milky Way.

One type of evolved star, a carbon star, goes through "dredge-up" from deep inside and so the atmospheres of carbon stars serve as a window into the stellar interior.

I am primarily a spectroscopist and have over 9,000 high resolution spectra of 87 nearby carbon stars. From these I have studied the composition, distribution and kinematics of these stars in the solar neighborhood.

Summary of my research at VSU

Details of my current and future research

Research in progress

Visit my Radio Frequency Interference page.