Ph.D in Astronomy and Space Sciences (2012), Cornell University. Dissertation: “The K-Band Metallicity and Spectral Type of M Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood”. Advisors: J. P. Lloyd, K. R. Covey.

AURA Claudio Anguita Fellow

Cornell Z. Carter Patten ’25 Graduate Fellow

          

BS in Astronomy (2004), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Concentration in low-mass stars under the supervision of M. T. Ruiz. 

I am particularly interested in the empirical determination of the fundamental parameters of M dwarf stars, parameters that will help the characterization of planets orbiting these stars. I pioneered and developed the K-band M-dwarf metallicity and temperature technique, based on the strengths of absorption features present in the K-band spectra of M-dwarf stars. This technique was applied to 133 nearby M dwarf stars, including 11 planet hosts, and their metallicity estimates reproduced expected correlations with Galactic space motions, and H-alpha emission line strengths, and return statistically identical metallicities for M dwarfs within a common multiple system. The utility of this method for refining the properties of exoplanet host stars (e.g. radius), and thus the properties of their planets as well, was recently demonstrated by a series of studies which used the technique to characterize 84 candidate M-dwarf planet hosts identified by Kepler.

For the past ~10 years, I’ve been studying M dwarf stars using optical and NIR facilities (check out my publications), but I’ve been also involved in other projects:

In my last year in college, I was part of the 2004 REU/PIA program at the CTIO, where I switched from dwarfs stars to dwarf galaxies for few months and investigated the age, metallicity and kinematics of dwarf ellipticals from the Fornax cluster. I also was the president of the student body of the departments of Physics and Astronomy, and the teaching assistant of the astro intro course.

While working at Cornell on a fabulous dissertation project (it got 2 prizes! AAS Doxsey and ASNY Grad paper), I participated in several outreach activities and enjoyed being the leader of the “Rockets!” workshop in conferences encouraging teens to follow careers in science and technology (EYH and Focus For Teens). I held several officer roles in the CHilean ASsociation at Cornell (CHAS) and Graduate Women in Physics (GWP) student organizations. I also was one of the teaching assistants in the astro intro courses during my first two years.

Since I arrived at the AMNH to work with Sébastien Lépine, I’ve been also involved in the After-School Program and Nasa Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP), being the instructor of the “Stars” course, and the mentor of 3 high-school students every year.

I love ice-cream, super8s and Mr. Darcy. I like to dance, knit, read mystery novels, watch the extended versions of TLOTR movies, play Super Mario games, travel and ride my bike. Most of my friends call me Babs.