What could be a more exciting way to use all the new measurements of planets than to find new patterns in their distributions? Planets have been my passionate study since childhood, so now I am studying the distribution of
exoplanet parameters.
I have found new patterns in the counts per (logarithmic) period of planets that depend on how much iron is in the star, for planets of stars that are ``sunlike'' as described by their surface gravity and whether the star is alone or has a stellar companion. This follows my finding that in more than one period range, the orbits of such planets of ``sunlike-stars'' at have higher eccentricity if the star has more iron, but there is a period range where the orbits of planets of low iron stars have especially high eccentricities such that this ``eccentricity-iron'' correlation goes away in this range.
My other planets research has been to observe exoplanets to confirm their discovery and measure their parameters. With one other astronomer, I started a program of observing planets and measuring their parameters. Our group has grown this program to be an important part of several projects, and our group now included as being a major player in confirming TESS planets.
I enjoy presenting my work to many professional and private audiences.
I currently live between Hong Kong and Cottonwood, Arizona, though have lately been limited more to staying in Hong Kong. I enjoy being in Asia where I enjoy learning to speak and getting laughed at in two dialects of Chinese. I am active in several forms of public speaking including comedy and storytelling, where I include science as a primary topic.
