Kimberly Ward-Duong

Research Interests: 

I am an observational astronomer who uses a wide range of ground and space-based telescopes and techniques to study the characteristics and environments of nearby stars, brown dwarfs, and exoplanets. From an evolutionary standpoint, I want to understand the relationships between these unique classes of objects, and how we can use observations of them across a variety of ages to better understand star and planet formation. Specifically, my work focuses on the following areas:

Low-mass stars and binaries: The orbital characteristics of stars and brown dwarfs orbiting M-dwarfs are imprinted with signatures of the low-mass star formation process. High-resolution adaptive optics imaging -- and high-contrast imaging in general -- offers a powerful technique to measure these systems and determine their binary and companion properties.

Young stars and circumstellar disks: Studying protoplanetary disks around young stellar and substellar objects reveals important clues to how planetary systems form and evolve, particularly around objects very unlike the Sun. I use submillimeter observations and multi-wavelength spectroscopy to study the dust and gas in these systems at their earliest stages. 

Atmospheres of brown dwarfs: Substellar objects bridge the gap between stars and exoplanets, and provide ideal laboratories to study atmospheric properties and chemistry at cool temperatures -- their spectra are the eminently characterizable counterparts to the exoplanet population, and studying their formation yields important comparisons to giant planet formation.

Direct imaging of exoplanets: Isolating light from giant planets and brown dwarf companions in orbit around much brighter stars requires frontier instruments and techniques. I am part of collaborative teams using high-contrast instruments (such as the Gemini Planet Imager and coronagraphic instruments on HST and JWST) to image nearby planetary systems. These efforts are enabling our future steps toward directly imaging lower-mass -- and someday Earth-like! -- exoplanets.