Carmen Sanchez Contreras
CSIC Research Scientist

Molecular Astrophysics Laboratory(LAM)
Astrobiology Center(CAB) -CSIC/INTA

Address:
European Space Astronomy Center, LAEFF
P.O. Box 78 E-28691 Villanueva de la Ca˜nada
Madrid, Spain
Phone: (+34) 918131205, Fax: (+34) 918131160
E-mail: csanchez@cab.inta-csic.es
RESEARCH


I received my PhD degree in astronomy in 2000, from the University
Complutense of Madrid (Spain). The title of my thesis is "Formation and
evolution of proto-planetary nebulae: the case of OH 231.8+4.2" and it
was supervised by Dr. Valentin Bujarrabal from the National
Astronomical Observatory of Spain (OAN).

My research focuses on the physics and chemistry of circumstellar
envelopes resulting from mass-loss during the latest stages of the
stellar evolution of intermediate mass stars, namely,
Asymptotic Giant Branch(AGB) stars, pre-planetary nebulae(PPNe)
and planetary nebulae (PNe). I have carried out extensive observations
of such systems at different wavelengths using a variety of techniques:
a) optical imaging and spectroscopy (standard and echelle) using space
and ground-based telescopes such as HST, KeckII 10m telescope,
Palomar 60-inch and 200-inch telescopes, the Isaac Newton Group (ING)
of Telescopes, and the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT); b) single-dish
and interferometric observations of continuum emission and
molecular (thermal and maser) line emission at submm-, mm- and
radio-wavelengths using theIRAM30m Radiotelescope, the OVRO, IRAM,
and SMA interferometers and the VLBA array; c) NIR imaging
using the adaptive optics(AO) system at Keck 10m telescope; etc. I make use of different techniques for analysis and interpretation of
astrophysical data. I have theoretically studied the dust emissivity,
the excitation of molecular and atomic lines, shock-induced physical
and chemical processes, radiative transfer in circumstellar envelopes,
spatio-kinematical modeling of PPNe, etc.