The
PLASTRO REU (Plasma Physics and Astronomy Research Experiences for Undergraduates)
is a federally funded program through the
West Virginia University (WVU) Department of Physics and Astronomy with support
from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This program allows students from all
backgrounds, from across the country to come to WVU and work alongside world renown
experts in their fields, mastering their research skills and gaining valuable research
experience.
The competitive program fully funds six students to live on campus and be fully
immersed in their research program for ten weeks. During this time, they have
access to valuable one-on-one time with their research mentor while working alongside
peers on collaborative research projects and attending weekly seminars. The seminars
cover various physics and astronomy research topics, offer career insights, provide
programming language bootcamps, and build professional development skills that
give them an edge in their advancement as emerging scientists.
The PLASTRO REU is a unique collaboration of faculty mentors and REU students working
together from backgrounds of plasma physics and astrophysics, both of which have
leading experts in the Department. This powerful blend of research allows students
to truly explore the depth of research in both physics and astronomy, allowing
them to explore at will and master a multitude of skills through firsthand experience.
Examples of research topics included in the PLASTRO REU program include interstellar
medium, space plasma physics, transient astrophysical phenomena, pulsars, laboratory
plasma experiments and gravitational waves. Program mentors were primarily faculty
from the University's
Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology and
Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics.
In addition to intensive research, the PLASTRO REU students were given the true
Mountaineer experience guided by student liaison,
Jacob Lord. Jacob, a graduate student in our
Plasma and Space Physics research group, worked tirelessly over the summer
to connect the students with regional culture and fun experiences. Organizing
local trips and activities for the students, Jacob made sure each weekend was
an opportunity to get out into the Mountain State and explore nature, art, science
and culture.
The PLASTRO REU students took trips to art museums in Pittsburgh, local concerts,
and various popular hiking destinations. They also went white water rafting at
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve and experienced a behind-the-scenes
tour of the
Green Bank Observatory. Jacob was an integral part of the overall experience
of the PLASTRO REU program and contributed a key component of the program that
other REU programs rarely offer.
At the conclusion of the program, the students presented their REU research at the
Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium in the
WVU Mountainlair with other undergraduate student researchers. In the winter,
they will also be fully funded to attend primary research conferences in their
research fields. They will present their research at conferences including the
American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU),
which focuses on Earth and space science, among other conferences. The students’
names, institutions, projects, and University mentors are provided below:
- Abdulrahman Baobaid (University of Minnesota), “Velocity Distribution Functions in Electron-beam-assisted Plasmas” | Mentors: Earl Scime and Jacob McLaughlin
- Catherine Hu (Emory University), “Mapping Energy Transfer From Solar Wind to Mars’ Atmosphere Using NASA Spacecraft Observations” | Mentors: Catherine Regan and Christopher Fowler
- Ella Mayfield (Appalachian State University), “Discoveries of Peculiar Bursting Neutron Stars” | Mentor: Maura McLaughlin
- Andrey Moore (University of Virginia), “Mapping the Beam of the Green Bank CHIME Outrigger Telescope Using Solar Transits” | Mentor: Kevin Bandura
- Hannah Lawson (University of Texas at Austin), “Gamma-Ray and Radio Models of the Millisecond Pulsar Content of Globular Clusters” | Mentor: Duncan Lorimer
- Roselyn Veras (Bennington College), “Modeling Spectral Properties of Fast Radio Bursts with MCMC: Insights from CHIME/FRB Observations” | Mentor: Emmanuel Fonseca
The PLASTRO REU program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy is supported
by NSF award #2348764 to West Virginia University.
