Astronomy Graduate Student
Georgia State University
Hi there! I'm Karina Kimani-Stewart, an Astronomy PhD Candidate at Georgia State University. I work with Dr. Todd Henry as part of the RECONS group. My work focuses on M dwarf variability and the planet systems around nearby M dwarfs.
I'm originally from Texas and earned my BS in Physics (with a conentration in Astrophysics) from Texas Tech University. My hobbies include baking, reading, kickboxing, and crocheting!
M dwarfs are the most common stars in the Galaxy, but are the least common stars in the distribution of nearby exoplanet host population. My focus is addressing the observational biases causing this and finding way to mitigate them so that the true distribution can be revealed.
I use photometric observations to find correlations in M dwarf activity and planetary presence to provide statistically-informed predictions of planetary presence across stellar rotation regimes on the basis of angular momentum transfer.
In my work, planets are used as a proxy for the momentum-reservoir disks in which they formed. However, to understand the spin-down that affects the amount of transferred momentum, we must estimate the masses of the disks of M dwarfs of different masses.
The Lingo Catalog is my collection of astronomy terms, phrases, and concepts that are commonly used, but seldom explained. This usually leaves early-career scientists in a game of catch-up to understand the language of astronomy. Here is a guide to the language of astronomy that I wish I had when starting my academic career, because part of making science accessible is making science digestible. In no way is this an exhaustive collection. If you have any unspoken definitions that would have made your life as an early-career scientist easier, please feel free to contact me with suggestions!