Curriculum vitae

12/2021 - now:

  • Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society

10/2021 - now:

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Austria
  • Research interests:
    • analysing debris disc morphologies by using collisional evolution models
    • combining thermal emission and scattered light observations
    • modelling of spectral energy distributions of debris discs
    • statistical analyses of debris disc populations

 

10/2019 - 09/2021:

  • Research associate at the Institute of Astronomy (IoA), University of Cambridge, UK

03/2017 - now:

  • Honourable member of and post-doctoral researcher at Konkoly-Observatory in Budapest

10/2016 - 09/2019:

  • post-doctoral researcher at Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany

10/2012 – 11/2016:

  • PhD in theoretical astrophysics (Dr. rer. nat.), Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany
    • Thesis title: "Statistical modelling of resolved debris discs" (Funded by DFG Kr 2164/10-1)
    • Supervisor: Professor Alexander V. Krivov
    • Brief synopsis of research: The SEDs of a sample of 39 Herschel-resolved debris discs were fitted with a newly implemented simulated annealing tool. It was the largest sample of resolved discs analysed so far. By inferring the disc radii from resolved images, the degeneracy between radial and grain parameters could be broken. Several dust materials were used for fitting, as well as different fitting models (modified blackbody, size distribution). The fitting results, such as minimum grain size and disc temperature of the cold dust components, were analysed statistically and several correlations between the stellar and fitting parameters could be found. One of the strongest correlations was the minimum to blowout grain size ratio as a function of stellar luminosity. In order to explain this trend, different possibilities were investigated, such as varying the dust material, analysing outliers and subsamples or taking the role of the surface energy or of the stirring level into account. In addition, the correlation found between disc to blackbody radius and stellar luminosity was applied to unresolved discs helping to infer the radii of unresolved discs.

  • 10/2014 – 03/2015: Teaching in seminar “Introduction to radio astronomy”, FSU Jena

  • 04/2013 – 09/2014: Teaching in basic lab courses, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, FSU Jena

  • 10/2012 – 09/2016: Research assistant, Astrophysical Institute and University Observatory, FSU Jena

10/2010 – 09/2012:

  • Master (M.Sc.) at Astrophysical Institute and University Observatory, FSU Jena
  • Master thesis: Modelling of spectral energy distributions of protoplanetary discs
  • 04/2012 – 09/2012: Research assistant in the field of neutron stars, FSU Jena
  • 10/2011 – 03/2012: Research assistant in the field of star formation, FSU Jena
  • 11/2011: Scholarship for ESA Summer School: Modelling of a possible space mission for studies of young stars
  • 07/2011: Scholarship for ESA Summer School, Alpbach, Austria: Modelling of a possible space mission for studies of young stars
  • 10/2010 – 03/2011: Research assistant in the field of thermodynamics, FSU Jena

10/2007 – 09/2010:

  • Bachelor (B.Sc.) at Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, FSU Jena
  • Bachelor thesis: Building a small radio telescope

07/2007:

  • Graduation from grammar school (Abitur)