Ashley Ruiter NMSU Graduate Research Fellow Entered: 2004 Office: 213 Astronomy Phone: (575)646-2566 Fax: (575)646-1602   E-mail: aruiter (append "@nmsu.edu")
M.S. Saint Marys University (Nova Scotia), 2005 B.S. York University, 2002

Information on my publications and attended meetings can be found on my Homepage.

Research

My major astronomical interests are binary evolution, evolved close binary systems and star formation.
My research is focused on studying close binaries involving one or more white dwarfs using population synthesis methods.

SN Ia.
My most recent project, which I am working on with my advisor Krzysztof Belczynski (Los Alamos), focuses on determining the most likely formation channels for Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia). In building delay time distributions of various SN Ia progenitor scenario models (varying star formation history, metallicity, common envelope evolution etc.), we aim to constrain evolutionary histories of SN Ia progenitors.

LISA.
One other major component of my research focuses on the study of close remnant binary pairs (such as double white dwarfs) in the Galaxy via population synthesis. Close compact object binaries will lose energy and orbital angular momentum owing to loss of gravitational radiation (GR). The gravitational waves emitted by Galactic double white dwarf binaries will be detectable with LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), and these systems are in fact expected to be a source of confusion-limited noise. With Matt Benacquista at University of Texas (Brownsville), and Shane Larson at Weber State University (Ogden), we are studying the different effects which Roche Lobe Overflow (RLOF) vs. detached double white dwarf binaries will have on the shape and strength on the LISA GR signal. With M. Benacquista and Kelly Holley-Bockelmann (Vanderbilt), we are studying the effects of low metallicity halo double WDs on the LISA GR signal (see my Homepage for more information).

X-ray Binaries.
I have also studied X-ray luminosities of accreting white dwarfs in order to determine if the faint X-ray sources in the Galactic centre (observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory) can be explained by Intermediate Polars (subclass of Cataclysmic Variables). With Craig Heinke (U. Virginia), we have also investigated the X-ray properties of magnetic vs. non-magnetic CVs in the Galactic centre.

In July 2008, I will be relocating to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA. I'll be moving there in order to complete my doctoral work on Type Ia SNe progenitors, as an SAO Predoctoral Fellow, working with Jonathan Grindlay.

My research is supported by a NMSU Graduate Research Enhancement Grant (GREG).

Previous Research (Masters degree).