By Vanessa Parks
Internal Communications and Engagement Specialist
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is fired up to welcome its newest faculty member, Professor Lisa Dang, whose research focuses on uncovering the mysteries of lava planets.
“Lava planets are similar to Earth, except that they’re being blasted with heat from their star,” says Dang. “They’re so hot that their surfaces are molten. If you imagine where a villain in a movie might come from, that’s a lava planet!”
Dang joined the Faculty of Science in May in the role of assistant professor. She researches exoplanets, or planets orbiting stars other than the sun. Her current work is primarily focused on mapping lava planets, an approach that connects her background in astronomy and cartography.
“I make thermal maps, similar to the maps you see on the Weather Channel,” says Dang. “I figure out what places are hot, what places are cool, and then what directions and how strong the winds are blowing. This allows us to better understand the atmosphere of these planets and, one day, maybe, to start answering the question of whether or not any of them are habitable.”
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, Dang has mapped one particular lava planet, not so creatively named K2-141b, and she has been awarded additional time to conduct a more extensive study. This study will look at five planets of different ages and with different parent stars. She is hoping to gain insight into how these planets evolve and the factors influencing their state.
Dang comes from the University of Montreal, where she honed her interest in exoplanets as part of a team focused on this area of study. What excites her now is the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary work. “The things that govern a planet are not just physics,” she notes. “It’s a little bit of biology, and little bit of chemistry. It’s very interdisciplinary.”
The similarities between lava planets and our own planet make them particularly interesting to Earth scientists. “These lava planets represent a unique opportunity to learn about what Earth was like in the early days” says Dang. “All rocky planets first form as a ball of lava, and eventually they cool down and create the crust that we stand on today. I’m collaborating with Earth scientists and geophysicists who are excited about the early Earth and having an opportunity to learn from real observations, not just theory.”
But there’s a broader audience for Dang’s work, too. “I was invited to Hal-Con, a Comic-Con-like convention in Halifax, to talk about exoplanets and lava worlds,” says Dang. “It turns out that a lot of people who go to sci-fi conventions are not only sci-fi fans, but they also write sci-fi. For them, my work on lava planets offered ideas for new worlds they can invent in their stories.”
Her new role at Waterloo has moved Dang away from family and friends in Montreal, where she grew up and went to school. She’s finding that she has a little more time to herself, time she’s using to indulge in hobbies like biking, cooking, and perfecting a flat white. She also loves learning languages. Dang is a native French speaker and currently working to master Portuguese.
A warm welcome, Professor Dang! We’re excited to have you here.