Isaac Radley

Profile

I completed my undergraduate degree in Physics with Astrophysics at the University of Leeds where my dissertation focused on a review of the current theories of planet formation primarily from an observational (sub-)mm perspective. After my undergraduate, I completed my master’s degree at the University of Cambridge. For my master’s project, I used Gaia photometry and chemical abundance values from the literature to try to discern whether there was a link between the photometric properties and the evolutionary pathways of planetary nebulae. Finally, I have returned to Leeds to complete my PhD which focuses on centimetre observations of young stellar objects.

Research interests

Protoplanetary Disks

My main research focus is centimetre observations of young stellar objects. Primarily, I use JVLA observations to understand the distribution and presence (or lack thereof) of large (cm-sized) dust grains within planet-forming disks. I am currently working on a JVLA survey of the Ophiuchus Star-forming region which will probe both the temporal variability of YSOs as well as the effect of evolutionary state on centimetre emission. Through high-resolution JVLA observations, we can consider local variations in the dominant emission mechanisms and decompose our observations into dust-thermal and non-dust contributions allowing us to accurately constrain the available mass reservoir for planet formation. Additionally, I aim to model the more dust-dominated YSOs using RADMC to simulate SKA observations and thus maximise the scientific benefit for future observational campaigns.

Classical Be stars

A further research interest of mine is classical Be stars. I have a particular interest in accurately characterising these stars photometrically and thus attempting to understand the cause of the Be phenomenon.