Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function
The planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF) has been actively used as an extragalactic distance estimator, due to its consistent bright-end cutoff magnitude across galaxy populations and types. We propose increasing dust-to-gas mass ratio at increasing central stellar luminosity plus white dwarf merger remnants can conspire to produce an invariant cutoff magnitude.
I worked on quantifying the observational signatures of white dwarf merger remnants. Our calculations found unique spectroscopic signatures for these objects, and put constraints on the physical properties of a potential galactic candidate IRAS 00500+6713.
White Dwarf Merger Remnants
AGN Variability
I have analyzed light curves from distant Active Galactic Nuclei in multiple wavelengths. Using techniques both in temporal space and frequency space, we discovered evidence of a long-timescale variability propagating inwards from the accretion disk towards the central supermassive black hole in Fairall 9.
High-energy Emissions from Black Hole Jets
I have also worked on analyzing radiation general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) simulations of M87, in an attempt to understand the observed TeV emissions. We also established a model for photon emissions, tracing the path of photons near the black hole (see below for an animation I made using Dr. Alexander Chen’s code)
