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, might be produced in extreme astrophysical environments like exploding stars ("supernovae"). I also specialize in predicting the observable 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
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.