Research

Currently, I am working optimizing the resolution of hydrodynamic (HD) simulations used by the MCRaT (Monte Carlo Radiation Transfer) code to predict the electromagnetic signature of simulated Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). MCRaT injects photons into the HD simulation and conduces scattering of the photons to then measure the electromagnetic signature of the simulated GRB. I have been working on finding the effects that lowering both the spatial and temporal resolution of the HD simulation for the sake of reducing computational time and resource allocation has on the outcome of the simulation. I have been preparing the results we have collected so far to prepare an abstract for the AAS HEAD meeting in March, which I will be presenting in.

Our new project also uses MCRaT, but the purpose of the new project is to adapt the code so that it can predict how the HD environment and its properties evolve outside of the PLUTO code domain. By doing this, we can account for photon scattering that happens in the outer parts of the GRB progenitor medium photosphere, which would be found outside of the HD simulation domain. for a more realistic simulation result. We are working on finding a way to implement the ODE’s that express how the photosphere behaves into the MCRaT code. It’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to it since this is also going to turn into a paper once we have concrete results and this is properly implemented in MCRaT.