Undergraduate Research Support Scheme Case Studies

George

Project:

Investigating the Galactic Population of White Dwarf Stars that Survive Supernova Explosions

"A current explanation for Type 1a supernovae is the detonation of a white dwarf as a result of accreting matter from a donor white dwarf in a binary system in what is known as a Dynamically-Driven Double-Degenerate Double-Detonation (D⁶) scenario. In some cases, the donor white dwarf can survive these explosions and be sent travelling through the galaxy at thousands of kilometres per second. Along with my supervisor, Dr Mark Hollands, I am developing a model to predict the positions of these hypervelocity stars millions of years post explosion. The hope is that the model will be used for a range of purposes across, not just the study of D⁶ survivors, but also understanding aspects of the galaxy such as supernova occurrence rate."

Interest

"Research is s very appealing career for me, but I wanted a hands-on experience to really make up my mind; so far, it's been incredible. In terms of the project itself, as soon as I heard the background physics, I knew it was for me; the idea a star can survive a supernova from such close proximity contradicted everything I assumed about supernovae. It is this expansion of knowledge way beyond what is taught in lectures that I believe to be one of the most valuable takeaways from the project."

Callum

Project

How Would the Population of Brown Dwarfs in the Milky Way Galaxy Manifest in Past and Future Observational Surveys?

"Brown Dwarfs are unique types of objects that are more massive than planets but less massive than stars. Since there are likely to be billions of these objects than inhabit our Galaxy, a good understanding of the Milky Way requires a good understanding of Brown Dwarfs. Therefore, my project aims to predict how these Brown Dwarfs will manifest in upcoming satellite missions so we can learn more about their formation and properties in the future."

Interest

"Research is a career prospect than fascinates and excites me, and Brown Dwarf research is one of the most fascinating fields of modern day astrophysics. Since these objects do not give off much light, we have only started detecting these over the past 30 years, and so there is still so much to explore and discover. My hope is to make a meaningful contribution to this active field of research."

Feryal

Project:

Expanding the Power of the Marsh Observatory for Solar and Exoplanet Research

"The Marsh Observatory is a new on-campus astronomical observatory that opened in November 2023, equipped with a 0.4m robotic telescope capable of imaging planets, stars, and galaxies. Our project aims to explore new scientific applications for the Marsh Observatory and test it's observational limits using the main telescope, as well as developing and implementing a new solar telescope system to enable continuous imaging of the Sun."

Interest

"We are both very interested in the night sky and how observations of celestial objects are made, so having the opportunity to operate the telescope ourselves and explore its research potential is very exciting. In addition to the astrophysics perspective, we are also interested in the engineering behind the telescopes, and this project allows us to experience the best of both worlds."

MJ

Project:

Understanding the performance of the TORCH particle identification detector prototype

URSS Journal

"My research project involves working with the LHCb team at Warwick as part of a global collaboration to enhance our understanding of particle physics through the study of particle collisions involving b-quarks. I am working with a group who are developing an updated version of the TORCH subdetector for CERN's upgrade in the next decade. This involves performing detailed computational analysis of previously collected data to optimise the angles and other parameters of TORCH."

Interest

"I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to undertake a project with the EPP group at Warwick because I am very interested in particle physics. This project provides a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of the field and hopefully pave the way for further opportunities in the future. It is also a chance to improve my coding skills, something which is essential for somebody working in particle physics research."

James

Project

Machine Learning & Event Reconstruction at the Short-Baseline Near Detector

Description

"I am embedded within the EPP group at Warwick where I am using the Pandora pattern-recognition software to analyse and interpret the images of neutrino interactions which come from the SBND detector which only started taking neutrino data in the summer of last year. I am looking to develop a machine learning algorithm to classify particles and, through doing so, aid the event reconstruction and analysis for SBND.

Interest

I undertook this project because I have a strong passion for particle physics and I wished to learn whether a PhD (and potentially a subsequent career in academia) in this subject was the path forward for me. Despite only being a few weeks into my project, I have definitively decided that I wish to continue studying this area beyond the end of my undergraduate degree and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities that I have obtained through undertaking this project."

Zachary

Project

Devising a cost-effective and efficient surveillance system for satellites in the GEO region above the UK.

"I'm a first-year student undertaking a project in astrophysics, involving a satellite surveillance system (in the GEO region). I am running datasets - taken over a year - through a simulation to analyse how the position of satellites in the GEO region changes over time and longitude. By applying observational constraints (and later on geographical constraints) I should be able to simulate an ideal grid of telescopes to track GEO satellites and detect debris in this region, by taking pictures of the night sky."

Interest

"I find the topic intriguing and important, as we are now entering a new chapter of space exploration and satellite-based systems. The lack of up-to-date international agreements and cooperation in preserving our finite orbits, seems shocking. There seem to be many issues in keeping track of satellites and debris, so I want to understand why. This project will allow me to develop my research and coding skills, alongside a better understanding of issues surrounding satellite surveillance systems."