Joe Llama

Intro

I am an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. My research focuses on understanding magnetic fields of both stars and extrasolar planets (planets that orbit stars other than the Sun).

I began my academic career at the University of St Andrews where I completed an Undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics before then embarking on a PhD in Astronomy under the supervision of Professor Moira Jardine. In June 2014 I moved to Lowell Observatory to work with Dr Evgenya Shkolnik as a postdoctoral researcher.

In 2016 I started a tenure track position at Lowell, where I will continue my research into stellar and exoplanetary magnetism

My non-academic life began in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. I am a keen photographer and traveler. Some of the photos I have accumulated during my travels, some of which can be found on this website, or on Flickr.

My Research Interests

My research is broadly focused on stars and exoplanets, and the interaction between the two. In particular I search for star-planet interactions, that occur between very close in planets and their parent star. For more information on my research see the links below. A list of my publications can be found through NASA ADS or through Google Scholar. A copy of my CV can be viewed here.

Star-Planet Interactions

Hot-Jupiter's are a class of planet that do not exist in our own Solar System. These planets are the size of Jupiter, but are located closer to their parent star than Mercury.

Since these planets are magnetized, their fields interact with the host star, leading to potentially observable signatures that will let us infer the strength of the magnetic field.

I search for these interactions using a number of different techniques, including searching for enhanced chromospheric emission from the host star that phases with the orbital period of the planet.

Stellar Magnetism

Along with exoplanetary magnetic fields, I am also interested in understanding the magnetic fields of stars across the main sequence.

This is an image of a star obtained through Zeeman Doppler Imaging, a technique that allows us to recover the large scale magnetic field of bright stars.

The field lines are the result of extrapolating the magnetic field above the surface of the star to investigate the topology of the stellar corona and wind. The magnetic field on the Sun is known to reverse every eleven years, I am interested in whether other stars exhibit such cycles.

Using these reconstructed magnetic maps, I am able to model the X-ray and radio emission that is emitted from the star.

About Me

My non-academic life began in Tenby, South Pembrokeshire. Growing up near the coast meant that I have spent a considerable amount of time surrounded by beautiful landscapes, which I have tried my best to photograph.

I spent eight years studying in St Andrews on the beautiful East Coast of Scotland. I was truly spoiled with breathtaking scenery, and despite the Scottish weather was able to get out, explore, and photograph many of Scotland's locations.

I am also an aurora hunter and have taken many trips to Tromsø in Norway to chase the Northern Lights. Though occasionally the Northern Lights come as far as Scotland. I was fortunate enough to see them over the University of St Andrews in 2016.

My top-tip for seeing the Northern lights is either go on holiday to Norway or if you ever find yourself flying overnight from the US to Europe, sit in row A and look out the window over the arctic, you'll almost certainly see something!

Contact

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google Maps

Or the old-fashioned way: Dr. Joe Llama, Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Rd. Flagstaff. Arizona. 86001. USA.

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