Charlotte Christensen
Welcome
I am a fourth year astronomy graduate student at the University of Washington.
Research
I am interested in using computational modeling in most any aspect of astronomy, although galaxy formation and evolution is my current love. I am particularly interested in dwarf galaxies and their star formation. My thesis project will involve adding the molecular phase of hydrogen into our galaxy simulations and studying how the added cooling will affect the collapse of gas into shallow dark matter halos and the star formation within the galaxies. I am also currently working on two papers, one involving defining the shape of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch and the other looking at the effect of resolution on star formation in simulations.
Teaching
Summer 2009, I am teaching Astronomy 101.
This course covers introductory astronomy material including stars, galaxies, and cosmology and emphasizes thinking scientifically. For the class syllabus, schedule, and labs, see
www.astro.washington.edu/christensen/astro101.
