Dr Craig Agnor
Senior Lecturer in Astronomy
Email: c.b.agnor@qmul.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 7882 3464
Room Number: G. O. Jones Building, Room 505
Profile
The aim of my research is to understand the origin of planets and satellites. I am principally interested in how gravitational dynamics determine the orbital structure of planetary systems and how giant collisions may account for the development of particular planetary characteristics (e.g. large obliquities, satellite formation, thermal excess/deficits). In this work I utilize a combination of analytic theory and numerical simulation (e.g., N-body orbital integrations, hydrodynamic calculations of planetary collisions) to examine the collisional and dynamical evolution of planets.
In the past my work has addressed a variety of topics in solar system evolution including:
- The formation of the terrestrial planets and the origin of the Earth/Moon system.
- The capture of Neptune's large retrograde moon Triton.
- `Giant Impacts' between planets and the origin of planetary characteristics.
- Understanding the implications of large-scale orbital migration of the solar system's giant planets.