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Contact
Email: eogorma@tcd.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1 896 2157
Fax: +353 (0)1 671 1759
Bio
I studied theoretical physics at University College Dublin (UCD) and graduated with a B.Sc. in 2007. In 2008 I moved to Strasbourg and studied at the International Space University where I obtained a M.Sc. in Space Studies. I spent the summer of 2009 carrying out research at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the area of exoplanet detection and analysis.
Research
My current research relates to understanding the mass loss process from red giants and supergiants. Most stars are continuously losing mass in outflows and this gas is returned back into the galaxy where it contributes to the next generation of stars and planets. For some stars the outflows are so massive that their very evolution and fate is affected. For many types of stars, there is a basic understanding of how these outflows are driven, but for most of the red giants and supergiants, no working theories or models currently exist. It is generally thought that some form of magnetic waves, energized on the turbulent stellar surface, are driving the outflows. I hope to involve both semi-theoretic and semi-empirical analysis of the wind energy and momentum balance in the crucial outflow acceleration region and make specific predictions about the thermal wind structures of these stars. Such predictions may be observable with the Extended Vary Large Array (EVLA) and the Atacamma Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in the next few years.
