- Academic

Benjamin Montet
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Department:
Education:
- 2016: Ph.D. Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology
- 2011: B.S. Physics; B.S. Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Research Interests:
I am interested in problems related to detecting and characterizing planets around nearby stars as well as understanding the evolution of stellar activity on these stars. I use data from space-based facilities like NASA's Kepler and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) missions, as well as ground-based facilities in Australia and abroad. To answer these questions, I am interested in applying machine learning techniques and other statistical methods to the large data sets that are available and those that will become available in the coming years.
I joined the UNSW School of Physics in October, 2019. I am looking to work with students at all career stages, and am happy to discuss current projects and future plans with interested students. If you are interested in working with me as an undergraduate researcher, Honours student, or PhD student please send an email describing your research experience and attaching your CV and transcript.
You can read more about my research and interests on my website.
Honours, Awards and Memberships:
- UNSW Scientia Fellow, 2019-2023
- NASA Sagan Fellow, University of Chicago, 2016-2019
- First prize, SciPy John Hunter Excellence in Plotting Contest, 2015
- Principal Investigator on K2, TESS, and Spitzer Guest Investigator programs
- Member of the American Astronomical Society
Selected Publications:
- "eleanor: An open-source tool for extracting light curves from the TESS Full-Frame Images" Feinstein, A. D., Montet, B. T., et al. 2019, PASP, 131, 094502
- "Long Term Photometric Variability in Kepler Full Frame Images: Magnetic Cycles of Sun-Like Stars" Montet, B. T., Tovar, G., & Foreman-Mackey, D. 2017, ApJ, 851, 116
- "Stellar and Planetary Properties of K2 Campaign 1 Candidates and Validation of 18 Systems, Including a Planet Receiving Earth-like Insolation" Montet, B. T., Morton, T. D., Foreman-Mackey, D., et al. 2015, ApJ, 809, 25
A full list of my publications and related metrics can be found at the NASA ADS.