Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Tomasz Plewa
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): tplewa@fsu.edu
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): Arts and Sciences
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Scientific Computing
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/7781/TPlewa-OfficialPhoto-543x756.gif

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): {Empty}
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable): {Empty}
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): tplewa@fsu

Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: Experiments in Computational Stellar Astrophysics
Project Keywords: astrophysics, physics, applied mathematics, statistics, computational science, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty quantification
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: Yes
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 2
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
mathematics, physics, statistics, computer science, engineering

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: {Empty}
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 10
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
Motivated by observations of supernova remnants such as SN 1987A or Tycho, we are investigating links between the supernova progenitor structure, instabilities developing during the explosion process, and characteristics of emerging young supernova remnants. The starting point for such investigations are stellar evolution studies of supernova progenitors.

From practical point of view, stellar evolution calculations require solving a set of coupled, nonlinear ordinary or partial differential equations. In this project, we will be using the MESA code,

http://mesa.sourceforge.net/

to solve the required evolutionary equations. We will obtain a series of stellar models of single and binary stars, and assess sensitivity of the stellar structure to various stellar parameters. These models will subsequently be used as input to supernova explosion codes such as
Agile-IDSA,

http://www.physik.unibas.ch/~liebend/download/index.html

or FLASH,

https://flash.rochester.edu/site/flashcode/

More advanced students may participate in and contribute to the analysis of multiphysics simulation results, such as computing nucleosynthetic yields and obtaining specific characteristics of explosion models.

This project is computationally-oriented and requires practical user knowledge of the Linux/MacOS operating system. In addition, a broader range of topics is available to students fluent with programming languages such as C, C++, Fortran, or Python. Familiarity with simulation data analysis and visualization tools (e.g. Excel, gnuplot) is a plus.

Applications of students who do not have programming skills or do not plan taking a programming class during the first semester of this project are strongly discouraged.

Additional information related to the project can be obtained at

http://people.sc.fsu.edu/~tplewa/Research/index.html#resources

Research Tasks:
All the required work can be done with help of student's laptop computers as front ends to departmental computers (connecting via Remote Desktop/Anydesk software), and Zoom for weekly communications. The project tasks involve,
(1) Review text book information about mathematics and physics relevant to problems in stellar evolution.
(2) Familiarize with the Linux operating system. Download, install, and familiarize with the MESA stellar evolution code.
(3) Construct a series of stellar evolution tracks for various stellar masses (Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram).
(4) Present evolution of stellar structure using Kippenhahn's diagrams (see, e.g., https://github.com/orlox/mkipp ).
(5) Study sensitivity of stellar progenitors characteristics or stellar physics phenomena to problem parameters.
(6) Obtain a series of stellar evolution or relevant multiphysics simulations.
(7) Analyze obtained results.
(8) Prepare a poster presenting the project findings. 

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Recommended: familiarity with the Linux operating system; practical knowledge of MATLAB, Python, or Fortran/C/C++.
Required: interest in and solid basic preparation in the areas of mathematics, physics, or statistics.

Mentoring Philosophy:
Promoting learning through inquiry -- the Socratic method
Sharing my own experience
Creating a safe environment in which mentees feel that is acceptable to fail and learn from their mistakes 

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: http://people.sc.fsu.edu/~tplewa/Research/index.html
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
https://news.fsu.edu/news/science-technology/2020/12/17/fsu-computational-scientist-demonstrates-how-supernovae-detonate/



UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

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Year: 2023
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