Juliette Becker

PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics

51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellow at Caltech

See my work

In Fall 2023, I will be moving to Wisconsin to join the faculty at the University of Wisconsin - Madison!

I am currently a 51 Pegasi b Fellow at Caltech. At Caltech, I am working with Professor Konstantin Batygin on an assortment of dynamical problems in the solar system and beyond. Previously, I was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow and Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics Graduate Fellow at the University of Michigan, where I obtained my PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics. My advisor was Professor Fred Adams. During my PhD research, I studied the dynamics of both exoplanetary systems and of our own solar system, and led the discovery of two new planets in the WASP-47 system and a Trans-Neptunian Object in our own solar system, 2015 BP-519.

As an undergraduate, I majored in Astrophysics (with a minor in English) at Caltech. I am also particularly interested in teaching: I have enjoyed teaching as a GSI (graduate student instructor) for multiple classes, giving guest lectures for university classes and high school classes, and doing outreach in K-8 schools. I also enjoy mentoring students in astrophysics research, whether they're looking to write a first-author paper or just learn some skills for a non-astronomy career.

For a longer list of my interests and contributions, see my CV.

I study planets and try to learn how they formed, both in our own solar system and around distant stars

My research focuses on exoplanets and the solar system: I have discovered new objects in the solar system and new planets orbiting other stars, and used these discoveries to learn more about how planets form. I am interested in systems with particularly unique geometries, such as hot Jupiters with other planets and planets with very low densities. For a little more on these topics, check out the major aims and progress of my exoplanet research below:

  • Ultra Short Period Planets

  • Hot Jupiters and How They Form

  • Single Transit Planets from K2/TESS

  • Other Exoplanets Work

I am also interested in the solar system. My ressearch focus is mainly on the dynamical state of the outer solar system, and I hope to use that dynamical state to make insights about how the solar system formed and how our giant planets migrated. For a little more on my solar system work, check out the major aims and progress of my research below: