• N3AS Undergraduate Researchers

    Students in the N3AS undergraduate research program are supported directly by N3AS. In addition to a scientific mentor, the students have a non-science mentor and participate in bi-weekly lectures or activities with N3AS members. Learn more about the program.

    You will also find recent scientific poster presentations by undergraduates below.


    Meet current & past participants

    Santiago Rodriguez stands in front of classroom.
    Santiago Rodriguez stands with scientific poster.

    Santiago Rodriguez, Current student

    New publication on arXiv.org!
    by Lucas Johns and Santiago Rodriguez:
    Collisional flavor pendula and neutrino quantum thermodynamics →

    Neutrino flavor oscillation occurs because neutrinos emitted in a certain flavor are composed of a superposition of different neutrino mass states. In a dense enough environment, neutrino self-interactions synchronize flavor on large scales. In the two-flavor approximation, the resulting dynamics show similar behavior to the classical spinning top and inverted pendulum under some conditions. We explore the neutrino flavor pendulum with the addition of charged-current interactions and absorption/emission processes. In addition, investigating their effects in densities and time scales relevant to the isotropic and monochromatic emission of neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae, similar to neutrino the bulb model. We are able to identify the synchronized and bipolar modes of oscillation and constrain the polarization pendulum to a sphere and a circle in flavor space.

    In 2023, Santiago has presented this research at the American Physical Society Far West Section, in San Diego.


    Malika Golshan, Current student

    Neutrinos, once thought to be massless according to the standard model, have proven otherwise due to the fascinating observation of neutrino flavor oscillations. In our research project, we take a unique approach by harnessing the power of machine learning to address a crucial question: Can computers aid in distinguishing between mass-bearing and massless neutrinos? By leveraging Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) on simulated weak lensing maps, our goal is to achieve a more accurate measurement of neutrino mass using cosmological methods.

    I am deeply grateful to both my mentors. Vanessa, my initial mentor, provided me with a solid foundation and inspiration for this project. Adrian then became my mentor while transitioning to his postdoctoral position at Princeton. His unwavering dedication and expertise guided me through the intricacies of data analysis.

    Malika Golshan

    Malika Golshan


    Photo of Daniel Xing in front of Campanile

    Daniel Xing

    Graduated 2023, currently training in Los Alamos, working with the DUNE team

    Discovering the origin of neutrino’s mass and their oscillation parameters could answer the matter antimatter asymmetry in our universe, and allow us to better understand astrophysics phenomena. Currently, multiple flagship experiments exploring neutrinos are underway, and to have full confidence in their results, accurate and precise neutrino nucleus cross sections are required. My project is to analyze data from lattice QCD calculations to determine one of these cross sections.

    Current Students

    StudentResearch MentorCareer Mentor
    Danial BaradaranBoryana HadzhiyskaEvan Grohs
    Claire Tianyi ChenMinas KaramanisMengke Li
    Emilie CotePedro EspinoAnna Suliga
    Jasmine CrawfordLuke JohnsLukas Graf
    Malika GolshanAdrian BayerPedro Espino
    Rose HinsonJoe De RosePatrick Cheong
    Ben KnepperAnupam RayKen McElvain
    Sangeeta KumarLuca BoccioliSanjana Curtis
    Quentin Le NyNoah WeaverdyckJulien Froustey
    Tess MessererEvan RulePayel Mukhopadhyay
    Nathan OlsonNoah WeaverdyckKen McElvain
    Juan PeresRaul MonsalveElena De La Hoz
    Halim Perez MelendezMalcolm LazarowIvan Burbano
    Henry PurcellSherwood RichersAmol Patwardhan
    Pallas Ka’alele Ki’ai BeddowSatya Gontcho a GontchoTianqi Zhao
    Sophia RisinWenbin LuDake Zhou
    Santiago RodriguezLuke JohnsPedro Espino
    Hong Joo RyooDimitra PefkouEvan Rule
    Jorge SanchezSanjana CurtisAnton Baleato Lizancos
    Sumbal SharifJan Shutte EngelErmal Rrapaj
    Gabrielle StewartElena de la HozNoah Sailer
    Samyak TiwariNathaniel LeslieLukas Graf
    Shengzhu (Alex) WangAnton Baleato LizancosEvan Grohs
    Catherine WelchMia KumamotoErmal Rrapaj
    Carlin WillPatrick CheongAaron Meyer
    David YangJulien FrousteyNathaniel Leslie
    Raymond YumManuela SaezErmal Rrapaj

    Past Students

    StudentResearch MentorCareer Mentor
    Abhay AgarwalManibrata SenXilu Wang
    Tehya AndersenLuke JohnsSherwood Richers
    Angela BeattyAnna SuligaWick Haxton
    Niranjan BhatiaEvan GrohsXilu Wang
    Yu Hong ChanEvan RuleEvan Grohs
    Iman FahmyErmal RrapajAmol Patwardhan
    Ben GoldXilu WangEvan Grohs
    Vi HongJeff BerrymanXilu Wang
    Yiran KeBaha BalantekinManibrata Sen
    Kevin LamPayel MukhopadhyayAnupam Ray
    Brandon LemAnna SuligaNathaniel Leslie
    Terry LiWick HaxtonAnna Suliga
    Annie McCutcheonWick HaxtonDake Zhou
    Emma McGinnessWick HaxtonErmal Rrapaj
    Druv PunjabiNathaniel LeslieAaron Meyer
    Paul ShinAmol PatwardhanSherwood Richers
    John WahlmeierErmal RrapajKenneth McElvain
    Daniel XingAaron MeyerSherwood Richers

    Spring 2024 Talks Schedule

    DateTimeSpeakersTopicLocation
    2/6 or 2/14/20244:00 PMRaul Monsalve (SSL, LuSee)Observing the birth of the first stars at the lowest radio frequencies
    2/22/2024TBDSanjana Curtis (UC Berkeley Astro Postdoc)Explosive astrophysical events and the origin of elements
    3/14/20242:00 PMSatya Goncho a Goncho (LBNL, DESI)Mapping the universe in 3D as a way to learn its evolution and its content
    3/20/2024TBDElena De La Hoz (Astrophysics Postdoc)Detecting primordial gravitational wave signatures within the CMB polarization data
    4/11/2024TBDDimitra Pefkou (UC Berkeley Postdoc)Hadron structure from Lattice QCD
    4/25/2024TBDStudentsPoster prep, practice, review
    5/2/20249:00AM –
    1:00PM
    Student presentersPoster session

    Fall 2023 Talks Schedule

    DateTimeSpeakersTopicLocation
    10/6/20235:00 PMWick Haxton; Laura Fantone;
    new local mentors
    Intro/Social/How to…
    for new students
    10/19/20233:00 PMNoah Sailer and Tehya AndersenApplying to Grad SchoolN3AS 3rd Floor / Zoom
    10/26/20233:30 PMErmal Rrapaj / Malcolm LazarowKey Research Skills: reading papers and keeping up with publications in your fieldN3AS 3rd Floor / Zoom
    11/2/20233:30 PMKaori FuyutoThe Mystery of Matter in the UniverseN3AS 3rd Floor / Zoom
    11/17/202312:00 PMLuca BoccioliCore-Collapse SupernovaeN3AS 3rd Floor / Zoom
    11/29, 11/30,
    and 12/1/2023
    Time TBDStudentsPoster prep, practice, reviewN3AS 3rd Floor
    12/7/20239:00AM –
    12:00PM
    10-12 student presentersPresenters + intro Q&A + receptionRoom 375

    Recent Research Presentations

    Poster Anderson — Oscillating Neutrinos as Open Quantum Systems
    Poster Bhatia — Big Bang Nucleosynthesis: Characterizing Abundances of Light Abundances
    Poster Chan — Quantum Annealing for Many-Body Physics
    Poster Cote — Simulating Differentially Rotating Hybrid Stars
    Jasmine Crawford — Anomalous Diffusion in MRI: Fractional Derivatives versus Relaxation Spectra
    Poster Fahmy — Bayesian Analysis of the Detection of Astrophysical Neutrinos
    Poster Golshan — Neutrino Detection Using Machine Learning
    Hinson — Redshift Calibrations for Next-Generation Surveys
    Poster Hong — Axion Searches from Chandra Observation of Magnetic White Dwarf
    Sangeeta Kumar — Calculation of Neutrino Propagation Through the Sun
    Poster Lem — Uncertainties of EFT coupling limits from dark matter direct detection experiments stemming from nuclear shell model calculations
    Messerer — Low Energy Neutron Scattering
    Poster Purcell — Neutrino Spin Oscillations Catalyzed by the Fast Flavor Instability
    Sophia Risin — Likelihood of tidal disruption events as second generation mergers of binary black holes
    Poster Rodriguez — The Flavor Pendulum in Collective Neutrino Oscillations
    Poster Shin — Cosmology and Non-Standard Equations of State
    Carlin Will — Mass Ejecta and Magnetic Winding in a Highly Magnetized, Hypermassive Neutron Star
    Poster Xing — Violation of the Gell-man–Okubo Relation with Lattice QCD