Profile

Miss Anna Laws

Postgraduate

Email:

I study the structure and composition of dust in protoplanetary disks, the birthplaces of planets, using both observations and radiative transfer modelling. So far I have mostly been reducing and analysing data from the Gemini Planet Imager, where we are conducting a survey of over 30 stellar objects with circumstellar material. I also collaborate with Prof. John Monnier and his team at the University of Michigan, having visited for a long-term attachment in spring 2018.  

Relevant publications:

"Irregular Dust Features around Intermediate-mass Young Stars with GPI: Signs of Youth or Misaligned Disks?" - Laws, Harries, Setterholm, Monnier, Rich et al. 2020, ApJ, 888, 7 
"Multiple Spiral Arms in the Disk around Intermediate-mass Binary HD 34700A" - Monnier, Harries, Bae, Setterholm, Laws et al. 2019, ApJ, 872, 122

Recent presentations:

• 2.5minute Flash Talk - Early Career Researcher Network Conference 2019, Exeter (Feb. 2019)
• "The Structure of Protoplanetary Discs" - CEMPS PGR Conference, Exeter (Jan. 2019)
• "Polarized light scattered from YSOs seen with the Gemini Planet Imager" (Poster) - SPF2 Conference (Star and Planet Formation 2), AZ, U.S.A. (Mar. 2018)

Responsibilities at Exeter:

• Co-chair of the Exeter Women in Physics network (2019–2020)
• Organising committee member of CEMPS PGR Conference (2018)

Outreach:

I frequently get involved with outreach to the general public and local schools. Recently I have been involved with community stargazing nights around Exeter.

Academic record:

University of Southampton, "MPhys Astrophysics with Year Abroad" (2017).

Master's project was completed at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S.A. (2017).