About me:I'm a PhD candidate in the Department of Physics at UC Santa Barbara, working primarily with Lars Bildsten at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. My research concerns the astrophysics of white dwarfs in interacting binary systems, with a focus on nuclear processes in the accreted material. Publications: "Supernovae .Ia from Helium Shell Detonations: Explosion Models and Observables" Shen, K. J., et al. 2009, in preparation "Helium White Dwarfs in Cataclysmic Variables" Shen, K. J., Idan, I., & Bildsten, L. 2009, ApJ, 705, 693 "A New Type of Stellar Explosion" Perets, H. B., et al. 2009, Nature, submitted (arXiv:0906.2003) "Unstable Helium Shell Burning on Accreting White Dwarfs" Shen, K. J., & Bildsten, L. 2009, ApJ, 699, 1365 "The Effect of Composition on Nova Ignitions" Shen, K. J., & Bildsten, L. 2009, ApJ, 692, 324 "Faint Thermonuclear Supernovae from AM Canum Venaticorum Binaries" Bildsten, L., Shen, K. J., Weinberg, N. N., & Nelemans, G. 2007, ApJ, 662, L95 "Thermally Stable Nuclear Burning on Accreting White Dwarfs" Shen, K. J., & Bildsten, L. 2007, ApJ, 660, 1444 CV: cv.pdf Travel schedule: December 2-5: CITA December 6-9: MSU Contact: email: kenshen AT physics.ucsb.edu Etc.: I'm working towards a Personal Chef Training certificate at the Culinary Arts program at Santa Barbara City College. I'm a fervent and often-depressed fan of the San Francisco Giants. My nephew and niece are very cute. |