Welcome!
I’m Kainen L. Utt, Ph.D., a recent graduate research assistant in the Department of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis. I work with Professor Ryan Ogliore in the Laboratory for Space Sciences, where we analyze extraterrestrial materials such as interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and meteorite samples to gain deeper insight into the development of our solar system.
My focus at the moment is to study the isotopic and chemical composition of cometary material, particularly phases that likely formed via direct condensation from vapor. I am also interested in other phases from the first ten or so million years of the Solar System. Such phases may provide clues as to the composition and evolutionary history of the primitive Solar System. One potential vapor phase condensate, found in a disaggregated sample of the Murchison meteorite, is shown below. In addition to my research, I was also involved in peer mentoring as a graduate student mentor for the department.
I completed my undergraduate work at the University of Arkansas, receiving an Honors B.S. in Physics (Cum Laude) and a B.S. in Mathematics. In addition to my coursework, I worked with the Barraza-Lopez Group to study the optoelectronic properties of phosphorene via density-functional theory calculations.
For those who may find it interesting, my Erdős number is 4 and my Einstein number is 5. Outside of academia, I enjoy watching Kansas City sports, running, cooking, and spending time with my cat Curie — recently featured (rather fittingly) on the personal page of a colleague who studies quantum information!
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