Maxwell Millar-Blanchaer

Research

My main science interests are the direct imaging of exoplanets, brown dwarfs (slightly larger than planets, but not quite stars) and debris disks (extra solar analogs to our own Kuiper and asteroid belts). There are significant technical challenges in directly imaging planets, as they are relatively faint objects right next to very bright objects (stars!). One of the tools I often use is called “polarimetry” where one takes advantage of the wave nature of light to detect fainter disks than we could otherwise and to characterize extra-solar atmospheres in unique ways. My work consists of a mix of building and characterizing astronomical instruments, carrying out observations with the world's biggest telescopes and developing new data analysis techniques. I love working with students and new collaborators at all levels and I'm always keen on taking my work in new directions, so if you're interested in my research please reach out!

Selected Publications

Infrared spectropolarimetric detection of intrinsic polarization from a core-collapse supernova - Nature Astronomy, March 2021

Detection of Polarization due to Cloud Bands in the Nearby Luhman 16 Brown Dwarf Binary - The Astrophysical Journal, May 2020

Debris Disk Results from the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey's Polarimetric Imaging Campaign - The Astronomical Journal, July 2020

A Search for Polarized Thermal Emission from Directly Imaged Exoplanets and Brown Dwarf Companions to Nearby Stars - The Astronomical Journal, December 2020

WIRC+Pol: A Low-resolution Near-infrared Spectropolarimeter - Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, February 2019

Imaging an 80 au Radius Dust Ring around the F5V Star HD 157587 - The Astronomical Journal, November 2016

Beta Pictoris' Inner Disk in Polarized Light and New Orbital Parameters for Beta Pictoris b - The Astrophysical Journal, September 2015