Theoretical High Energy Astroparticle Physics
An exciting result from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is the detection of star-forming galaxies at gamma-ray energies. In star-forming galaxies, gamma rays are produced through the interactions of highly energetic cosmic rays with interstellar gas and radiation. Nearby star-forming galaxies, such as NGC 253, have been the subject of multi-wavelength observations by telescopes such as Fermi (at GeV energies), NuSTAR (in X-rays), VLBA (radio), and HESS and VERITAS (at TeV energies). Even so, the details surrounding the mechanism for producing the gamma rays remain elusive. Do the gamma rays originate from interactions from interstellar gas and radiation and cosmic ray electrons, or cosmic ray protons?
Last summer (Summer 2015) I had the incredible opportunity to complete a 10 week internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Maryland. As an intern under Tonia Venters, a NASA civil servant and brilliant theoretical astrophysicist, we worked on a project to conduct a theoretical study of cosmic ray physics in the starburst galaxy NGC 253 by creating models to speculate the source of its gamma-ray emission. By the end of the summer, I created a theoretical proton spectrum to constrain our values for the theoretical proton index, and future work will involve comparing this spectrum to data from Fermi, NuSTAR, and HESS, and telescopes operating in other wavebands.
Last summer (Summer 2015) I had the incredible opportunity to complete a 10 week internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Maryland. As an intern under Tonia Venters, a NASA civil servant and brilliant theoretical astrophysicist, we worked on a project to conduct a theoretical study of cosmic ray physics in the starburst galaxy NGC 253 by creating models to speculate the source of its gamma-ray emission. By the end of the summer, I created a theoretical proton spectrum to constrain our values for the theoretical proton index, and future work will involve comparing this spectrum to data from Fermi, NuSTAR, and HESS, and telescopes operating in other wavebands.
National Astronomy Consortium (NAC)
Primary Goal: to increase the number students, who otherwise would have been overlooked by the traditional academic pipeline, into STEM and STEM careers by placing them in a cooperative, diverse team over the summer and beyond.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the coordinators and mentors of the NAC program to which I was accepted and provided the opportunity for me to participate in research this summer. The goal of the NAC program is to provide mentorship, professional development, and networking opportunities to students who otherwise would have been overlooked by the traditional academic pipeline. From Q&A with grad students and post docs, to a group visit to our Congressional Representatives in Washington, I thought this was a very successful program and made me much more confident in my decision to persue graduate studies and my place as an active citizen in the research world.
NAC Website |