About Me
Hi, my name is Deryl and I’m an Engagements Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Virginia. Through my research I seek to understand the links between the physical and chemical conditions in protoplanetary disks and the planetary systems that are formed in these environments. I also enjoy sharing science and building community through teaching, outreach initiatives, and mentorship. You can view my CV here.
Research
Protoplanetary Disk Ionization
Ionization drives important chemical and dynamical processes within protoplanetary disks, including the formation of organics and water and the transport of material throughout the disk via accretion and magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD). Despite its importance, the amount of ionization and its distribution in protoplanetary disks is still a key piece of the planet formation puzzle that has yet to be solved. In a recent paper I explored the complex 2D ionization environment of the turbulent DM Tau disk using high resolution ALMA observations and astrochemical models. Stay tuned for upcoming results from a survey of molecular ionization tracers from ALMA!
Planet Formation on Solar System Scales
Surveys of protoplanetary disks such as DSHARP reveal a diversity of substructure. These surveys have mainly targeted massive disks, while the majority of protoplanetary disks are much smaller. To investigate the presence of substructure on Solar System scales I looked at high resolution ALMA observations of the compact GQ Lup dust disk. My results hint at a rich world of substructures in small disks, which may be related to young forming planets. A subsequent analysis of compact sources in Taurus reveals substructure in half of the disks and finds that occurence rates for inferred planets are consistent with microlensing and direct-imaging surveys (Zhang et al. 2023).
Teaching
Ethics of science and space exploration
As an astronomer, I am interested in the social and ethical implications of humanity’s study and exploration of space. I will be teaching a seminar course on the ethics of space exploration and colonization in the Engagements program, a unique liberal arts and sciences curriculum for first-year students at the University of Virginia.