Dynamical Studies of Stellar Interactions

Stars form from the collapsing clouds of dust and gases. As a consequence of the conservation of angular momentum this process is likely to result in a circumsteller disc or "accretion disc". Understanding the dynamics of these discs is important both because of the regularity with which they occur within the Universe and also for their part in the eventual formation of planets from the coalescence of the material within the disc.

My work so far has involved examining the effects of dynamical interactions of stars on the properties of the discs. This is performed by reviewing computer simulations with relevent physics and comparing the results to observed phenomena in the local galaxy.