I'm an Astronomer at Harvard working on the TESS Science Team and with the Origins of Life Collaboration. I search for and study planets outside our solar system - to study planetary formation, architecture, and habitability.
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Outside of planetary research, I also study self-lensing binaries with white dwarf companions to investigate white-dwarf structure models and hope to find new self-lensing binaries in TESS data.
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To read more about my research interests and experience, see my research page!
I'm an Astronomer at Harvard working on the TESS Science Team and with the Origins of Life Collaboration. I search for and study planets outside our solar system - to study planetary formation, architecture, and habitability.
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Outside of planetary research, I also study self-lensing binaries with white dwarf companions to investigate white-dwarf structure models and hope to find new self-lensing binaries in TESS data.
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To read more about my research interests and experience, see my research page!
As an undergraduate at MIT, I led an investigation into the micro-lensing of the first discovered, strongly lensed type Ia supernova, iPTF16geu. This system cause commotion when it was discovered, as its standard candle nature plus time delay values, could theoretically lead to a constraint of the Hubble parameter. However, the macro-models published by More et al. 2017 showed significant flux ratio anomolies with the observations of the four images. I constructed a Monte-Carlo simulation, in Python, which showed that the likelihood for micro-lensing to cause these flux ratio anomalies between observations and macro-models was ~3/1000. I then showed that even if the macro-models fit perfectly, the microlensing probability density functions create a probability distribution on the intrinsic brightness with a full width half maximum of 0.73 magnitudes. As such, the error for the standard candle brightness is quite large. This reduces the utility of the standard candle nature of type Ia supernovae. This project led to a first author paper, and cover article, in the MIT Undergraduate Research Journal Fall 2017, which has 10 academic citations (as of November 2019). I then built on this work, leading three other micro-lensing projects that took advantage of the code that I had generated, culminating in my senior thesis, entitled “Statistical Analyses of Gravitational Microlensing Probability Densities.”
As an undergraduate at MIT, I led an investigation into the micro-lensing of the first discovered, strongly lensed type Ia supernova, iPTF16geu. This system cause commotion when it was discovered, as its standard candle nature plus time delay values, could theoretically lead to a constraint of the Hubble parameter. However, the macro-models published by More et al. 2017 showed significant flux ratio anomolies with the observations of the four images. I constructed a Monte-Carlo simulation, in Python, which showed that the likelihood for micro-lensing to cause these flux ratio anomalies between observations and macro-models was ~3/1000. I then showed that even if the macro-models fit perfectly, the microlensing probability density functions create a probability distribution on the intrinsic brightness with a full width half maximum of 0.73 magnitudes. As such, the error for the standard candle brightness is quite large. This reduces the utility of the standard candle nature of type Ia supernovae. This project led to a first author paper, and cover article, in the MIT Undergraduate Research Journal Fall 2017, which has 10 academic citations (as of November 2019). I then built on this work, leading three other micro-lensing projects that took advantage of the code that I had generated, culminating in my senior thesis, entitled “Statistical Analyses of Gravitational Microlensing Probability Densities.”
Publications
First Author Publications
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Yahalomi, D. A. et al. “The Mass of the White Dwarf Companion in the Self-Lensing Binary KOI-3278: Einstein vs. Newton.” The Astrophysical Journal, 880, 33 (2019).
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Yahalomi, D. A., Schechter, P. L, and Wambsganss, J. “A Quadruply Lensed SN Ia: Gaininga Time-Delay. . . Losing a Standard Candle.” MIT Journal of Undergraduate Research, Fall 2017 – arXiv:1711.07919.
Co-Author Publications
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Mireles, I. et al. including Yahalomi D. A. “TOI 694 b and TIC 220568520 b: Two Low-Mass Companions Nearthe Hydrogen Burning Mass Limit Orbiting Sun-like Stars” AAS Journals, submitted – arXiv:2006.14019.
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Beatty, T. G. et al. including Yahalomi D. A. “The TESS Phase Curve of KELT-1b Suggests a High Dayside Albedo” AAS Journals, submitted – arXiv:2006.10292.
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Wong, I. et al. including Yahalomi D. A. “Systematic Phase Curve Study of Known Transiting Systems from Year 1 of the TESS Mission” The Astronomical Journal, submitted – arXiv:2003.06407.
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Dragomir, D. et al. including Yahalomi D. A. “Securing the Legacy of TESS through the Care and Maintenance of TESS Planet Ephemerides” The Astronomical Journal, 159, 219 (2020).
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Diaz, M. R. et al. including Yahalomi D. A. “TOI-132 b: A short-period planet in the Neptune desert transiting a V=11.3 G-type star.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 493, 973 (2020).
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Wong, I., et al. including Yahalomi, D. A. “Exploring the atmospheric dynamics of the extreme ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-9b using TESS photometry.” The Astronomical Journal, submitted – arXiv:1910.01607.
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Rodriguez, J., et al. including Yahalomi, D. A. “An Eccentric Massive Jupiter Orbiting aSub-Giant on a 9.5 Day Period Discovered in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Full Frame Images.” The Astronomical Journal, 157, 191 (2019).
Presentations
Presentations:
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Nov 2019 - Princeton Exoplanet Group Meeting
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“Characterizing White Dwarfs in Self-Lensing Binaries, plus a Planet Surprise..."
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Nov 2019 - Harvard Exoplanet Pizza Lunch
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“Characterizing White Dwarfs in Self-Lensing Binaries, plus a Planet Surprise...”
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Jan 2019 - AAS 233rd Meeting
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“A Dynamical Mass for the White Dwarf in the Self-Lensing Binary KOI-3278.”
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Aug 2017 - MIT Undergraduate Cosmology Workshop
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“A Quadruply Lensed SN Ia: Gaining a Time-Delay. . . Losing a Standard Candle.”
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June 2017 - Columbia Nevis Laboratory (visitor of Professor Reshmi Mukherjee)
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“Using Microlensing to Investigate Macro-Models of the Supernova iPTF16geu.”
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May 2017 - Manhattan Microlensing Conference
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“Using Microlensing to Investigate Macro-Models of the Supernova iPTF16geu.”
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Posters:
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Jan 2020 - AAS 235th Meeting
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“Discovery of a Warm Jupiter near Resonance with an Exterior sub-Neptune.”
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July 2019 - Sagan Exoplanet Workshop: Astrobiology for Astronomers
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“Mass of the WD Companion in the Self-Lensing Binary KOI-3278: Einstein vs. Newton.”
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Aug 2017 - AAS HEAD 16th Meeting
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“Using Microlensing to Investigate Macro-Models of the Supernova iPTF16geu.
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