Modeling the Spectra of the Coldest Stars and Brown Dwarfs

Professor: Adam Burgasser

Description: The coldest stars and brown dwarfs are among the most abundant objects in the Milky Way, yet have complex spectra due to their cold and chemistry-rich atmospheres.The Cool Star Lab is the lead organization of several JWST Cycle 3 programs investigating the physical properties of both nearby stars and brown dwarfs with unusual chemical abundances, and very distant brown dwarfs found in deep imaging fields. The Cal-Bridge scholar will work with members of the Cool Star Lab to model the spectra of these sources using new atmosphere models, to assess both the physical properties of these complex little stars and to assess the fidelity of current models as a function of temperature, age, and metallicity.

Preferred Qualifications: Python experience preferred but not necessary; at least one course (can be lower division) in stellar or general astronomy/astrophysics