Looking for an exciting project or potential collaboration? I am always open to discussing ideas, exploring new collaborations, and helping you find a project that aligns with your interests and goals. Below, you'll find a few ongoing projects that current students are actively working on. Don’t hesitate to reach out and start a conversation!
Turbulence in galaxy clusters
Galaxy clusters reveal Mpc-size diffuse radio emission permeating its center. This emission is evidence for relativistic electrons and magnetic fields in galaxy clusters. Nevertheless, these electrons need to be re-energized by some particle acceleration mechanism in order to explain the observed radio emission. Turbulence is naturally produced as galaxy clusters form and is expected to accelerate particles in the intracluster medium. Harvard undegraduate student Jasmine Palma is currently analyzing MHD AREPO simulations of binary galaxy cluster mergers to quantify the properties of turbulence in the intracluster medium.
Polarization in ICM turbulence
The intracluster medium (ICM) is magnetized, and our best chance to get information about the magnetic fields is through radio observations. One of the best tools to map the magnetic field morphology is by analyzing the polarized emission. Cathal Stephens is a CRLS student who is currently analyzing MHD PLUTO simulations of turbulence. These simulations are coupled wth tracer particles to model the synchrotron emissivity. Cathal is analyzing the alignment of the polarization E-vectors and quantifying the depolarization in the turbulent system.
Mentoring high-school students
Interested in acquiring mentoring experience? If you work at CfA, you can be part of the Science and Research mentoring Program (SRMP)! This is a wonderful opportunity for you to mentor 1-3 high-school students on a mini-project throughout the year. At the end of the year, the students get to present their work in a final symposium. Be part of this initiative and help inspire people to pursue studies in STEM.