Cheyanne Shariat
Astrophysics PhD student at Caltech
Hi there! I’m a Ph.D. student in Astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology, working with Kareem El-Badry and supported by the DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship. My research studies how stars form, interact, and evolve in multiple-star systems, particularly binaries and triples.
I enjoy working at the intersection of theory and observation. On the theoretical side, I model the long-term evolution of binary and triple star systems using detailed simulations and population synthesis frameworks. I am equally interested in confronting these models with the real world: testing predictions against observations and letting them inform one another.
On the observational side, I utilize data from ground- and space-based facilities, including Gaia, James Webb, Hubble, Roman, Palomar, and Keck, and especially enjoy exploring publicly available surveys.
Outside of astronomy, I spend most of my time playing basketball and tennis, skateboarding, and generally being outdoors.
I am always happy to chat, so don’t hesitate to reach out!
Research
All research →
Triple Stars
Triples are common and dynamically rich, making them natural laboratories for stellar mergers and exotic stellar phenomena.
Illustration from Caltech
Binary Stars
Most stars are in binaries, and a significant fraction will interact. I study binary mass transfer and binary populations in the Milky Way and beyond.
HST Program 10452
Broader Interests
Related problems, many still involving binaries, from red giants and stellar ages to exoplanets.