Yanqin Wu
Email: wu@cita.utoronto.ca
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Research Summary
[
Dynamics,
High Energy Astrophysics
]
Yanqin Wu works in two broad areas: stellar hydrodynamics and the
formation and evolution of planets. She investigates processes
including convection, rotation, pulsation, mode coupling, dynamo, tidal
interaction, and gravitational dynamics, to answer questions raised by
observations, e.g., what excites and saturates stellar oscillations?
how to understand the pulsation power spectrum of fast rotating stars?
what causes tidal energy dissipation in a binary systems? what leads to
the high 'kick' velocity a neutron star received at its birth? how does
angular momentum evolve in stars? how to explain the observed
eccentricities of extra-solar planets? how do these planets migrate
inward toward the host star and when?
Research Projects:
(September 2001 - August 2002)
Tidal Dissipation in Extra-Solar Planets
Wu and Arras (now in UCSB) are working on a research project:
explaining the efficiency of tidal dissipation in Jupiter and
extra-solar planets. Tide raised by Io on Jupiter is dissipated much
faster than theorists expected. Interestingly, similar efficiency is
measured in extra-solar planets for tide raised by their host stars.
They focus on a physical mechanism that involves resonant excitation of
inertial waves in these giant planets. These waves may be the common
mechanism shared by Jupiter and exo-planets.
Atmospheric Dynamics of Extra-Solar Jupiters
Wu works on the atmospheric dynamics of Jupiter-like exo-planets.
Turbulent diffusivity in the stratosphere of these planets is
responsible for mixing different elements. She studied the spatial
distribution and magnitude of this diffusivity, and found that sodium
is likely to settle out of the stratosphere, thereby explaining the
observed sodium deficit in the famous transiting planet HD $209458$b.
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