Currently, my area of active research is in Stellar
Nucleosynthesis. This is a "50 cent" word for saying this is how
stars produce the elements found on the Periodic Table. Who doesn't love
the Periodic Table? It is true that we are "all made of stars!". My
research particularly focuses on elements heavier than Iron, things such at Gold, Platinum and Silver. These elements are produced in the cataclysmic end of massive stars as Type II Supernova.
My research
students learn the techniques of spectral synthesis to "mine" the spectra of a
star for these various elements. We then determine the abundance of the
elements in our subject star.
My students
have attended many state, regional and national level meetings in the past 5
years. In addition they have received funding from agencies including
the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium and the American Astronomical
Society and have been
authors on peer-reviewed papers. Come see what our research
group has to offer!
