Dr. Kristina Monsch

I'm a Postdoc based at the Center for Astriphysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My work focuses on the modelling the dispersal of circumstellar disks around young, low-mass stars. More recently, I've co-led the efforts on characterizing the newly discovered edge-on protoplanetary disk IRAS 23077+6707 ("Dracula's Chivito"). Also, I am part of the EWOCS project, which is a deep Chandra & James Webb survey of the two massive star-forming regions Westerlund 1 and Westerlund 2.

I obtained my PhD at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) in Munich/Germany, where I worked on modeling X-ray driven photoevaporation in protoplanetary disks and its effect on exoplanet systems architectures. During this time, I had been part of the priority program 'Exploring the Diversity of Extrasolar Systems' (DFG SPP1992) as well as the Research Unit 'Planet Formation Witnesses and Probes: Transition Disks' (FOR 2634/1), both established by the German Research Foundation.

I am also very interested in using astrochemistry as a tool, especially in the context of star and planet formation!

publications

First author (6 total)………………………………………………………………………………

Monsch, K., Lovell, J. B. & Berghea et al. (2024): „High-resolution Pan-STARRS and SMA Observations of IRAS 23077+6707: A Giant Edge-on Protoplanetary Disk“, ApJL, Volume 967, Issue 1, id.L2, 9 pp.

Monsch, K., Drake, J. J. & Garraffo, C. et al. (2023): „Linking circumstellar disk lifetimes to the rotational evolution of low-mass stars“, ApJ, Volume 959, Issue 2, id.140, 16 pp.

Monsch K., Picogna G. & Ercolano B., Preibisch T. (2021): „The imprint of X-ray photoevaporation of planet-forming discs on the orbital distribution of giant planets - II. Theoretical predictions“, A&A, Volume 650, id.A199, 17 pp.

Monsch K., Picogna G., Ercolano B. & Kley W. (2021): „Giant planet migration during the disc dispersal phase“, A&A, Volume 646, id.A169, 15 pp.

Monsch K., Ercolano B. & Picogna G. et al. (2019): „The imprint of X-ray photoevaporation of planet-forming discs on the orbital distribution of giant planets“, MNRAS, Volume 483, Issue 3, p. 3448-3458

Monsch K., Pineda J. E. & Liu H. B. et al. (2018): „Dense gas kinematics and a narrow filament in the Orion A OMC1 region using NH3“, ApJ, Volume 861, Issue 2, article id. 77, 15 pp.

Co-author (selected; 4 of 12 total)………………………………………………………………

Lovell, J. B. & Monsch, K. et al.: “High–resolution observations of IRAS 08235–4316: DECaPS and SMA discovery of a large, highly–inclined protoplanetary disk in Vela”, accepted for publication in AJ

Guarcello, M. G., …, Monsch, K. et al.: “EWOCS-III: JWST observations of the Supermassive Star Cluster Westerlund 1”, accepted for publication in A&A

Ercolano, B., Picogna, G. & Monsch, K. (2023): “Lowest accreting protoplanetary discs consistent with X-ray photoevaporation driving their final dispersal“, MNRAS Letters, Volume 526, Issue 1, pp.L105-L110

Ercolano B., Picogna G. & Monsch K. et al. (2021): „The dispersal of protoplanetary discs. II: Photoevaporation models with observationally derived irradiating spectra“, MNRAS, Volume 508, Issue 2, pp.1675-1685

All of my publications can be browsed on NASA ADS.

PRESS Releases & Media Coverage:

A Giant Cosmic Butterfly’s Nature Is Revealed, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

The exotic stellar population of Westerlund 1, Webb Picture of the Month

Mysterious 'butterfly' in space is largest planet-forming disk ever seen, around a star four times as massive as the Sun, BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Is that a giant sandwich? No, it’s the biggest protoplanetary disk in the sky, Nature Research Highlights

This Giant Cosmic ‘Butterfly’ Is a Planet-Forming Disk, Smithsonian Magazine

CV

Click here to download my CV.

Contact

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO)

Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

kristina.monsch [at] cfa [dot] harvard [dot] edu

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