[Mesa-users] CCA predoctoral program 2021-2022

[Matteo Cantiello]

The Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics (CCA)
predoctoral program is now accepting applications (apply here
<https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/flatiron-institute-center-for-computational-astrophysics-pre-doctoral-program-2021/>)
for current graduate students to spend five months working with CCA
scientists beginning either *September 2021 or February 2022 in New York
City*. Applicants should propose to work with one or more mentors, either
on one of the projects prospective mentors have listed, or on a project the
applicant proposes. We (Matteo Cantiello & Adam Jermyn) have a few proposed
projects <https://www.stellarphysics.org/projects> that are likely relevant
to the MESA community, and are happy to discuss other possibilities if you
are interested!

Feel free to reach out to us with questions, and if you know someone who
might benefit from this program please feel free to forward this along.

Cheers,
Matteo & Adam

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Matteo Cantiello (CCA co-mentor: Adam Jermyn)
More info at: https://www.stellarphysics.org/projects
Apply here:
https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/flatiron-institute-center-for-computational-astrophysics-pre-doctoral-program-2021/?tab=rfa


*Stars in AGN Disks*
Stars are likely formed in, or captured by, the disks of active galactic
nuclei (AGN). The disk conditions profoundly change the star’s evolution,
with AGN stars accreting large amounts of mass and becoming massive / very
massive. This project could involve either modeling the accretion stream
with radiation hydrodynamics software instruments like Athena, modeling the
long-term stellar evolution in the MESA software instrument, or studying
the interplay of stellar dynamics, AGN disk models, and evolution, tying
together output from a variety of tools with semi-analytic models. Some
questions that need to be answered are:

1) Does AGN star chemical pollution explain observed metallicities in AGN
disks?
2) How does AGN star evolution change with redshift and/or AGN metallicity?
3) Does accretion during the AGN phase of the Milky Way explain the lack of
Red Giants in the Galactic Center?
4) Does AGN star evolution impact the growth of SMBHs?

Ref: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020arXiv200903936C/abstract



*Modeling Stellar Ingestions with MESA*
Planets and stars can be engulfed when, e.g., their host / companion star
ascends the giant branch. Using a 1D code (MESA) it is possible to account
for the energy deposited during the spiral in and determine the evolution
of the primary star.
Some questions that need to be answered:

1) Is it possible to use this simple approach to reproduce observed
Luminous Red Novae? (e.g. V1309Sco and AT 2018bwo?)
2) Can the light-curve produced using this 1D approach be used to determine
basic properties of the binary system (M1,R1,q,a)? And if so, in what
regimes?
3) Is it possible to use a large grid of such 1D models to help the
identification of these transients as observed by e.g. the VRO/LSST?



*Modeling Stellar Convection*
Stellar modeling is limited by our understanding of turbulence. We are
looking for a student interested in studying stellar convection, either
near the star’s surface where it can cause measurable brightness
fluctuations or in deeper regions where it plays a crucial role in
distributing angular momentum and setting stellar rotation rates. These
projects likely involve a combination of hydrodynamic simulations with the
Athena or Dedalus software instruments, as well as semi-analytic work
developing prescriptions for 1D stellar evolution instruments like MESA.



*Apogee Binaries*
Binary stars represent a powerful probe of stellar evolution. Data from the
Apogee radial velocity survey have been used to identify a large population
of binary main-sequence and red giant stars. This project would involve
studying the chemical abundances, eccentricities, periods, and rotation
periods of the Apogee binaries, and leveraging semi-analytic models as well
as 1D stellar evolutionary models to gain insight into how both single and
binary stars evolve.


-- 
Matteo Cantiello - https://www.stellarphysics.org/
Associate Research Scientist,  CCA, Flatiron Institute
Visiting Associate Researcher, Princeton University
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