Physics & Writing
Astrophysics notes, the occasional technical reflection, and anything else that doesn't fit neatly into a project page.
Stellar Remnants: Black Holes, Neutron Stars and White Dwarfs
ASTR S-80 · Harvard University Summer School · 2023
Final paper for the Harvard astrophysics course. Covers the three types of stellar remnants (white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes) and what determines which one a star becomes (the answer is just mass). The paper goes into electron degeneracy pressure and the Pauli exclusion principle for white dwarfs, neutron star formation mechanics, and black hole physics including the information paradox and its relationship to string theory.
One section I found genuinely interesting: whether planets orbiting neutron stars are survivors of the original supernova or formed afterward from the debris disk. The answer isn't settled, and the implications for planetary formation theory are significant either way.
More writing will be added here.
Physics notes · Technical reflections · Lab observations