My main research interests are in developing the capabilities of radiation-magnetohydrodynamics simulations to investigate various open problems in the atmosphere, wind, and circumstellar environment of our sun and those of other stars. Currently my work is focused on the heating of the solar corona around active regions; physical processes responsible for individual flares and coronal mass ejections; and the way that coronal mass ejections evolve as they propagate outward in the solar wind into interplanetary space. I also have an ongoing research interest in the interplay of matter and radiation in the launching and structuring of the winds of massive, luminous stars across their evolutionary sequence.
N. Dylan Kee
(RSCH AST, SOLAR & SOLAR TRSTRL STD)
| Email: | dylan.kee@nasa.gov |
| Org Code: | 671 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 671 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Brief Bio
Research Interests
Data-Driven MHD Simulations
Heliophysics: Theory & ModelingData-driven MHD simulations seek to leverage the wealth of observational constraints available with modern satellites and instruments, both through remote sensing and in-situ data, as direct inputs to numerical simulations. I develop novel methods for carrying out this coupling of input data and numerical simulation with a specific focus on performing the injection of data directly into the equation set underlying the simulation.
Coronal Heating
Heliophysics: Solar AtmosphereThe exact mechanisms at play in setting the thermal state of the solar corona remain only loosely constrained. My work in this area focuses on nanoflare heating through the stochastic build up and dissipation of energy in an ensemble of small scale current sheets generated by the tangling of coronal magnetic fields above active regions by translation and rotation of flux concentrations piercing the solar photosphere.
Dynamics of Radiation Dominated Plasmas
Astrophysics: Theory & ModelingIn extreme astrophysical conditions, the momentum and energy budget of a plasma can become dominated by pressure and energy in radiation. Simulations of such conditions require a careful treatment of radiative transfer, (magneto-)hydrodynamics, and the exchange of momentum and energy between radiation and plasma.
Positions/Employment
Research Astrophysicist
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD, USA
November 2023 - Present
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope/National Solar Observatory - Maui, HI, USA
April 2021 - October 2023
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
KU Leuven - Leuven, Belgium
November 2018 - March 2021
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
University of Tübingen - Tübingen, Germany
January 2016 - October 2018
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Delaware - Newark, DE, USA
February 2012 - December 2015
Education
University of Delaware
Ph.D. 2015; Physics and Astronomy
Radiative Ablation of Disks Around Massive Stars, Advised by S. Owocki
B.S. 2011; Physics and Astronomy, Minors in Mathematics and Computer Science
Publications
Refereed
2024. "Simulating the Photospheric to Coronal Plasma Using Magnetohydrodynamic Characteristics. I. Data-driven Boundary Conditions." The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 270 (2): 30 [10.3847/1538-4365/ad0e0c] [Journal Article/Letter]
2024. "ATOMIUM: Molecular inventory of 17 oxygen-rich evolved stars observed with ALMA." Astronomy & Astrophysics 681 A50 [10.1051/0004-6361/202347632] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "X-Shooting ULLYSES: Massive stars at low metallicity." Astronomy & Astrophysics 675 A154 [10.1051/0004-6361/202245650] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Method and new tabulations for flux-weighted line opacity and radiation line force in supersonic media." Astronomy & Astrophysics 667 A113 [10.1051/0004-6361/202142888] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "First 3D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of Wolf-Rayet winds." Astronomy & Astrophysics 665 A42 [10.1051/0004-6361/202243451] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Binary-object spectral-synthesis in 3D (BOSS-3D)." Astronomy & Astrophysics 660 A17 [10.1051/0004-6361/202141831] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Simulations of the line-driven instability in magnetic hot star winds." Astronomy & Astrophysics 656 A131 [10.1051/0004-6361/202142175] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "ATOMIUM: The astounding complexity of the near circumstellar environment of the M-type AGB star R Hydrae." Astronomy & Astrophysics 651 A82 [10.1051/0004-6361/202140512] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Shock-heated radiation-driven outflows as a solution to the weak-wind problem of late O-type stars." Astronomy & Astrophysics 648 A94 [10.1051/0004-6361/202039972] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Dynamically inflated wind models of classical Wolf-Rayet stars." Astronomy & Astrophysics 647 A151 [10.1051/0004-6361/202039595] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Analytic, dust-independent mass-loss rates for red supergiant winds initiated by turbulent pressure." Astronomy & Astrophysics 646 A180 [10.1051/0004-6361/202039224] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "ATOMIUM: A high-resolution view on the highly asymmetric wind of the AGB starπ1Gruis." Astronomy & Astrophysics 644 A61 [10.1051/0004-6361/202039185] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Line-drag damping of Alfvén waves in radiatively driven winds of magnetic massive stars." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 499 (3): 4282-4292 [10.1093/mnras/staa3196] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "A Detailed View of the Circumstellar Environment and Disk of the Forming O-star AFGL 4176." The Astrophysical Journal 896 (1): 35 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab8adc] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Spiral arms and instability within the AFGL 4176 mm1 disc." Astronomy & Astrophysics 634 L11 [10.1051/0004-6361/201937154] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "A 3D short-characteristics method for continuum and line scattering problems in the winds of hot stars." Astronomy & Astrophysics 633 A16 [10.1051/0004-6361/201936584] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "Theoretical wind clumping predictions of OB supergiants from line-driven instability simulations across the bi-stability jump." Astronomy & Astrophysics 631 A172 [10.1051/0004-6361/201936331] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Line-driven ablation of circumstellar discs – IV. The role of disc ablation in massive star formation and its contribution to the stellar upper mass limit." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 483 (4): 4893-4900 [10.1093/mnras/sty3394] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "3D radiative transfer: Continuum and line scattering in non-spherical winds from OB stars." Astronomy & Astrophysics 616 A140 [10.1051/0004-6361/201731858] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Line-driven ablation of circumstellar discs – III. Accounting for and analysing the effects of continuum optical depth." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 479 (4): 4633-4641 [10.1093/mnras/sty1721] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Disruption of circumstellar discs by large-scale stellar magnetic fields." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 478 (3): 3049-3055 [10.1093/mnras/sty1228] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Line-driven ablation of circumstellar discs – II. Analysing the role of multiple resonances." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 474 (1): 847-853 [10.1093/mnras/stx2772] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Investigating the origin of cyclical wind variability in hot massive stars – II. Hydrodynamical simulations of corotating interaction regions using realistic spot parameters for the O giant ξ Persei." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 470 (3): 3672-3684 [10.1093/mnras/stx1478] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "Line-driven ablation of circumstellar discs – I. Optically thin decretion discs of classical Oe/Be stars." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 458 (3): 2323-2335 [10.1093/mnras/stw471] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Suppression of X-rays from radiative shocks by their thin-shell instability." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 438 (4): 3557-3567 [10.1093/mnras/stt2475] [Journal Article/Letter]
Grants
Developing the Machinery for in-situ Data-Driven Simulations
Internal Research and Development Program (IRAD) - NASA GSFC - Awarded: 2024-10-01
Dates: -
Development of Novel Data-Driven Modeling Capabilities
Heliophysics Division Internal Scientist Funding Model (ISFM) - NASA - Awarded: 2024-10-01
Dates: -