Margaret Moerchen

Research and Interests

Debris Disk Sketch 1
Debris Disk Sketch 2

(The images above are
artists' renditions of debris disks,
courtesy of NASA/JPL.)

Primary Research Interest

My primary research interest lies in circumstellar disks and development of IR instrumentation. 
My recent publications are linked below

12 AND 18 μm IMAGES OF DUST SURROUNDING HD 32297 (PDF)
ApJ 666, L109, 2007

MID-INFRARED RESOLUTION OF A 3 AU RADIUS DEBRIS DISK AROUND ζ LEPORIS (PDF)
ApJ 655, L109, 2007

I presented some of this work this past year:

"Observing structures near the diffraction limit in the mid-IR"  June 2007
Poster, Gemini Science Meeting 2007, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil

"A mid-IR imaging study of physical processes in debris disks" March 2007
Poster, ESO Observing Planetary Systems Workshop, Santiago, Chile

General Research Interests

A list of my general research interests:

Planetary formation
Debris disk formation
Mid-infrared instrumentation for large telescopes
Extrasolar planets
Astrobiology
Dust heating around the Galactic center