Nicholas P
- Research Program Mentor
MS at Rice University
Expertise
Physics, Astrophysics, Stellar Astrophysics: specifically stellar evolution, interior structures of stars, stellar pulsations
Bio
Hello! I am a recent Master's graduate from Rice University and am currently applying for my PhD in astrophysics. My research passion lies in understanding the inner workings of stars—how they are structured, how they evolve over time, and how their pulsations reveal insights into their interiors. Besides this, I am knowledgeable in many areas of physics and astronomy. Outside of research, I enjoy exploring new places and connecting with people from different cultures. I spend time reading about science, astrophysics, and technology, and I find peace in nature through hiking and outdoor walks. I am passionate about inspiring and teaching the next generation of scientists and am eager meet you and help you reach your full potential!Project ideas
Stellar Architects: Modeling the Life Cycles of Stars
Have you ever wondered about how astronomers study the life cycles of stars? In this project, you will learn how properties of the star (like its size, mass, chemical makeup) affect how a star ages and behaves with time. Using the stellar evolution code on this website (https://docs.mesastar.org/en/latest/#), you have a whole laboratory for creating all kinds of stars that exist in our universe. You will define the initial characteristics of your stars (e.g., mass, chemical makeup) and then use the code to simulate their evolution over millions or billions of years. You can then experiment by creating different stellar models—for example, by varying the initial mass or the chemical makeup—and compare how these changes affect their brightness, temperature, size, and ultimate fate. This involves analyzing the rich data output from the code to plot evolutionary tracks and understand the underlying physics, which you will accomplish using either the Python, R, or Julia programming languages, depending on your background and interest. All of this information and data about how different stellar properties dictate their evolutionary pathways and final states will be synthesized in a research paper. That will be your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and develop skills that researchers use to convey their own findings.
Why Does the Three-Body Problem Defy Prediction?
Although Newton’s laws precisely describe two-body orbits, adding a third mass produces a fascinating blend of stable resonances and sensitive chaos that cannot be solved in closed form. In this project, you will review foundational research and then design and run your own computational simulations to see how varying initial positions lead to periodic, resonant, or wildly unpredictable trajectories. By engaging with professional journal articles and synthesizing your findings into a concise scientific paper, you will gain hands-on experience in reading the literature, experimenting with models and simulations, and communicating results clearly.
Asteroseismology - The Music of the Stars
This project is a computational exploration of asteroseismology, the study of "starquakes" to understand the hidden interiors of stars. You'll investigate how a star's unique "song", a set of resonant frequencies created by sound waves, changes as it burns fuel and evolves over millions of years. Using professional research tools, you will first model a star's life cycle with the MESA stellar evolution code to simulate its changing internal structure. Then, you will use the GYRE stellar oscillation code to calculate its specific oscillation frequencies at key stages, allowing you to directly connect the star's observable "music" to the invisible evolution happening deep within its core. You will learn the fundamental principles of stellar structure and evolution, how to work in a command-line environment, and how to process, analyze, and visualize scientific data using Python.