Ken studies the winds of massive stars, with emphasis on how they become structured and generate shocks, X-rays, and polarization. He is the project scientist on an ultraviolet spectropolarimetry mission concept named Polstar, and concentrates on theoretical models with the goal of understanding the physics of radiatively driven winds and their role in stellar and galactic evolution. His courses emphasize the use of astronomy as a tool to encounter almost every topic in physics as they play out on a vast range of scales and strengths.

Research interests

• Radiative transfer
• Radiation hydrodynamics
• Spectral line diagnostics

Research

• Theory topics:
  • Highly supersonic stellar winds accelerated by photon pressure
  • Radiation transport in stellar atmospheres and disks
  • How massive stars lose mass prior to a supernova
• Simulation topics:
  • Colliding winds in hot-star binaries
  • Radiation transport in outflows from stars
• Students may participate in international collaboration in stellar research
• Students' experience in writing dynamic numerical simulations prepares them for positions either as academic postdocs or as software specialists in industry