Black holes, Big and Small
Jessica Lu, Professor
Astronomy
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
My research group studies black holes in the Milky Way in two ways: (1) we search for stellar-mass black holes using gravitational microlensing and (2) we study the environment around the supermassive. black hole at the Galactic Center. Interested undergraduates may work in either of these areas. Possible projects include:
Stellar-mass black holes:
- Model observational data from microlensing events to determine if they are good candidates to contain black holes.
- Perform simulations of a mock Milky Way to compare synthetic populations to our observational results.
- Analyze observational data to search for astrometric signals of black holes.
The Galactic Center:
- Help with data analysis of new James Webb Space Telescope Galactic Center data.
- Search for possible microlensing events in Hubble Galactic Center data.
Role: The undergraduate student will be working with ground-based and space-based observational data from telescopes such as Keck, Hubble, James Webb, etc. Students will use catalogs, perform data analysis on astronomical images or spectra, run simulations, or fit various models to data. Students will work with many existing codes and software tools, learn to work with large observational or simulation data sets, perform statistical analysis. Students will work with git, python, Jupyter, and more and practice reproducible research habits. Students are expected to produce a short written report at the end of each semester with their work.
Qualifications: - some experience with programming (python preferable, but not necessary)
- exposure to an intro astronomy course (major or non-major) is desirable but not essential
- astronomy, physics, CS, statistics, or data science majors (or intended majors) are encouraged to apply
Hours: 12 or more hours
Off-Campus Research Site: (remote work is fine)
Related website: https://astro.berkeley.edu/people/jessica-lu/
Mathematical and Physical Sciences