Emily Deibert

Vanier Scholar and PhD Candidate
in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

I'm a 5th year PhD student and Vanier Scholar in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. Prior to starting my PhD, I completed an Honours Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics, English, and Mathematics from Victoria College at U of T.

Scroll down to learn more about my research and extracurricular activities, or view my full CV here.

Research

Under the supervision of Suresh Sivanandam and Ray Jayawardhana, I work on observations of exoplanet atmospheres in the optical and near-infrared wavelength regimes. We use high-resolution, ground-based telescopes around the world to try to learn more about hot Jupiters and super-Earths, and shed light on the formation and evolutionary histories of these distant worlds.

My latest paper, "Detection of Ionized Calcium in the Atmosphere of the Ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76b", uses high-resolution optical data from the GRACES instrument at Gemini North to study the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76b. In this Letter, I present the first detection of the ionized calcium triplet at 850 nm in the atmosphere of WASP-76b, and demonstrate that this exoplanet's atmosphere is likely hotter than expected. This result was the first publication from the ExoGemS survey and received considerable media attention, including articles in CNN and USA Today.

Click below to learn more about my research interests, or check out my publication list on ADS.

Teaching & Outreach

I'm also passionate about science outreach, teaching, and communication. I've given many public talks around Toronto and have been a teaching assistant for numerous courses at U of T. Here are some initiatives I've been involved in:

  • Teaching Assistant at U of T for 5 years
  • Head TA for AST101/AST201 at U of T
  • Speaker/volunteer for Astro on Tap
  • Regular volunteer for AstroTours
  • Ask An Astronomer email responder
  • Instagram manager for Research2Reality

Science Writing

I'm currently a staff science writer at Research2Reality, where I write biweekly articles on Canadian science news. I've also contributed freelance work to various other outlets. Take a look at some of my work below, or click through to my full portfolio.

The 'Missing Link' of Black Holes Has Been Found

Astronomers finally have long-awaited evidence of the existence of intermediate-mass black holes, thanks in part to gravitational waves.
Read full article.

Polar Bears Will Die Out Within This Century*

* That is, unless we as humans do enough to address climate change that Arctic sea-ice levels can continue sustaining bear life.
Read full article.

How Much Stuff is There in the Universe?

Just how much stuff is there? Is it possible to estimate the quantity of matter in the observable universe in any meaningful way?
Read full article.

Contact

You can contact me through email at deibert@astro.utoronto.ca.

Address

McLennan Physical Laboratories
60 St George Street
Toronto, ON
M5S 1A7