Neutron Star Mergers

       As I continue to learn more and more about black holes, I like to also visualize how they are formed. One way black holes could be formed is called a “merger”, where two heavy objects spiral around each other until they merge and form a black hole. This supercomputer simulation shows one of the most violent events in the universe: a pair of neutron stars colliding, merging and forming a black hole. A neutron star is the compressed core left behind when a star explodes as a supernova. The video is a computer simulation from NASA of what would happen. The amazing part is that this entire phenomenon happens in less than 10 milliseconds! Instead of just reading about them abstractly, these sort of videos really help me picture black holes. 

Blog 6: Second Interview Preparation

1.) Who is your mentor and where do they work?

- My mentor is Dr. Bela Szilagyi who works at the Astrophysics and Astronomy Department at Caltech,

2.) What five questions will you ask them about their background?

I will ask the following five questions:

1. What university did you attend for both undergraduate and graduate and what was your intended major?
2. Does your family background have an interest in science? Did they support your endeavor? 
3. What inspired you to pursue this field?
4. How did you come to know about SpEC?
5. Do you love your work or does it feel like a job?

Blog 5: Mentorship and Research Reflection

1.) Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?  If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.

- The way I first contacted my mentor was in the beginning of summer. I wanted to study physics, so I decided to look at Caltech professors (since Caltech was world renowned for its emphasis on physics). I then looked at the list of professors and found Dr. Bela Szilagyi. He studied Black Hole Collisions and Numerical Relativity, the former being a great interest of mine. So I emailed him, and he called me after. After I explained what I wanted to do, it was OK to come to Caltech everyday during the summer.

2.) Research question: What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

- The most important article I have read so far has been the Giancoli Physics Textbook. This is because of the way it simplifies complex physics phenomenon such as black holes. It is very easy to use yet still very powerful. Mrs. Pittman recommended it to me for use, and I have been happy so far.