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From my sophomore to senior year at Penn State, I worked as a research assistant with Dr. Miguel Mostafá and the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Observatory (HAWC) Collaboration, and in 2021 I was the co-recipient of the Langhorne Brickwedde Award for Undergraduate Research in Physics alongside my colleague and friend Leah Hunt. 

 

The HAWC Observatory is located on the side of the beautiful Sierra Negra volcano near Puebla, Mexico.  Using this array of water Cherenkov gamma-ray detectors, we are able to perform a high-sensitivity synoptic survey of gamma rays from the northern hemisphere, and detect incredibly high energy objects from space!

 

As neutrally-charged astrophysical messengers, gamma rays serve as powerful tools for determining the origins of incredibly high energy particles from across our universe. These particles can be associated with extreme astrophysical objects such as gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and pulsars (basically all of the most epic objects in space 😉 ). From my sophomore to junior year, I analyzed data from gamma-ray showers to pinpoint unassociated candidate sources at the very high energy (VHE) end of the TeV spectrum. By examining the gamma-ray showers of these candidate sources in time, I determined if they faded into the diffuse gamma radiation or if they could still be considered unassociated sources. In my senior year, I worked to put more accurate constraints on the energy spectra, examine the morphology, and ultimately determine the classifications of these sources.

 

By better understanding the nature of these extreme astrophysical sources, we can uncover valuable information about the mechanisms that accelerate particles to such high energies. 

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HAWC is also participant in a larger effort called AMON, or The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network. AMON works to bring together all known forms of astronomical messengers (photons, neutrinos, cosmic rays, and gravitational waves) to reach a more comprehensive understanding of astrophysical phenomena!

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Please feel free to visit the "Contact" tab and message me if you have any questions about this work. :)

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Click here to read my undergraduate honors thesis.

Click here to see my work for the 2020 Virtual American Physical Society April Meeting.

Click here to see my work for the 2020 Virtual APS Mid-Atlantic Section Meeting.

Click here to learn more about the Mostafá research group.