Dr. Audrey Thirouin

Planetary Science

PhD

Dr. Thirouin’s area of expertise is the study of the diverse small body populations in our Solar System. She is using several techniques, from observations to modeling, to understand the rotational and physical characteristics of the small bodies, as well as the formation of binary/multiple systems.

Dr. Thirouin’s work is currently focused on the small bodies beyond Neptune’s orbit called the trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Dr. Thirouin and colleagues search and characterize contact binaries, which consist of two objects that are almost touching or in contact with each other. These systems have been found in several small body populations such as the near-Earth object population, the main belt of asteroids, the Jupiter trojans, and the comet population, but they remain elusive in the trans-Neptunian belt.

Check out Dr. Thirouin’s webpage.