Dr. Jenny Larson

I focus primarily on modeling of impact ejecta around small body systems. In graduate school, I developed the Rebound Ejecta Dynamics (RED) package which offers an N-body method to modeling ejecta rather than an SPH or hydrocode method. The RED package includes effects such as multiple body systems, radiation pressure, unique target body shapes with the option for density gradients within the target, and more. Currently, I am using the RED package to expand upon a binary asteroid ejecta outcome library, which will expand our knowledge of ejecta interactions in binary systems beyond the DART experiment and simulations. I am also very interested in solar system formation and how different celestial bodies formed. One of my early career projects included improving the oligarchic growth equation to account for the decrease of mass in the surrounding protoplanetary disk. I love working through the mathematics that make up our solar system!