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Anirudh P

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at Columbia University

Expertise

physics, high energy astrophysics, stellar astrophysics, nuclear astrophysics, computational astrophysics. Stellar explosions (e.g. supernovae).

Bio

I am a PhD student at Columbia University in the department of physics. I am broadly interested in theoretical high-energy and nuclear astrophysics. I study cosmic alchemy: how the heaviest elements in the universe, like gold and platinum, are produced in extreme astrophysical environments like exploding stars ("supernovae"). I also specialize in predicting the radiation (light) emitted during these events. My research uses a combination of analytical modeling (writing down equations that describe the physics of the system) and computational modeling (solving the equations on a computer). When I am not simulating exploding stars, I love to run, cycle, and explore the outdoors. I also love living in New York City. This includes trying new restaurants, reading in coffee shops, and dancing to electronic music on weekends.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Exploding Stars: Properties of supernovae and their causes.

When the center of a massive star runs out of its nuclear fuel, it collapses under its own gravity, resulting in a powerful explosion called a core-collapse supernova. Supernovae are over a billion times brighter than the Sun! One focus of this project may be to understand how properties of the star (like its size, mass, chemical makeup) and other explosion properties affect the light that is emitted during the explosion. An alternative or additional direction may be to study how heavy elements like gold and platinum can be created in supernovae and how they can affect the light emitted during the explosion. The student will have an opportunity to develop an understanding of stellar physics and stellar explosions, which will set a foundation to explore many other areas of astrophysics in the future. Depending on background and interest, the student can also develop coding skills by analyzing data from supernova simulations provided by the mentor and/or by running simulations themselves. If there is interest, the student can also study the exotic objects that are left behind after a supernova: neutron stars and black holes. This project can be easily adapted to different levels of expertise (beginner - advanced), and may culminate in a written review. However, there is much freedom in this project and it is possible to take a variety of different directions in both the scientific focus and output of the project.

Coding skills

python

Languages I know

Gujarati, Fluent

Teaching experience

I have 3+ years teaching experience with a broad range of students including early career pre-medical and pre-engineering track undergraduates, undergraduate physics majors, and physics PhD students.

Credentials

Education

Rutgers University
BS Bachelor of Science (2022)
Physics, Philosophy
Columbia University
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Physics, Astrophysics

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