H. Perry Hatchfield
NASA Postdoc
Biography
H Perry Hatchfield (he/him) is a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at JPL, studying the formation of stars and gas flows in the Milky Way’s Galactic Center using techniques of both observational and computational astrophysics.
Education
- PhD, Physics, University of Connecticut (2022)
- B.S., Physics and Creative Writing, Oberlin College (2016)
Professional Experience
Before now and since finishing my postdoc in May 2022, I have been working as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Connecticut.
Community Service
I'm a writer for Astrobites, and an instructor for Data Carpentry.
Research Interests
I’m interested in the life cycle of gas, dust, and stars in galaxy centers, particularly in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way. I use a combination of multi-wavelength surveys, hydrodynamic simulations, and synthetic observation techniques. I’m focused mainly on the early stages of star formation and how large-scale gas flows influence the extreme physical properties of the Galactic Center. I’m always interested in learning more about the great wealth of physics that affect these processes, including magnetic fields, turbulence, feedback and dust chemistry.
Selected Awards
- LSST Data Science Fellow, Research Fellowship Award from the Kurt Haller Endowment for Physics Research and Graduate Education