What I’m Doing for the Summer

It’s easy to say that I’m in my first research job for the summer. It’s even true. But what does that mean?

Well, so far, it means I’m reading a lot of scientific papers (and often re-reading because those are still mostly written beyond my level), becoming familiar with concepts I need a far better grip on (radio astronomy and interferometry leap to the top of that list), and figuring out some computer coding (in Python) far beyond what I’m used to doing.

Which still doesn’t tell you what I’m doing for the summer.

I mentioned last week that I successfully gained entrance into the accelerated MSc program at my university. The summer is the first piece of that. The summer work rolls into my undergraduate thesis in the fall which then rolls into my master’s thesis starting next May.

The tentative long-term title is “A Statistical Analysis of Ring Structures in Protostellar Disks”, which is a lot of words to say I’m studying early solar system evolution.

I could use a lot more words about how I’m using millimetre wavelength radio telescope data to look for signs of structure in objects in active star formation regions that will eventually become solar systems but are currently only a half million years old or so. That sentence tells me more than it did a few weeks ago, but I’ve got a long way to go before I can write coherently on the subject. A long way, a lot of studying, and a lot of analysis.

I’m enjoying things so far, and expect to continue to do so, but I also have to admit I’m only four weeks into a project that, if I consider the whole thing, is slotted to last 28 months (or as long as 36, depending on how things actually go, but I’m hoping for the shorter). That’s the longest term commitment I’ve given to one thing, well, ever. If one of my children came to me today and told me that they and their partner were expecting a child, by the time I defend my master’s thesis, I’d have a grandchild not far from their second birthday.

I should try not to put it into terms that emphasize the time involved so much, but it’s hard at my age, for some reason.

For the summer, though, I have much to learn, much to understand, and come concepts to demonstrate.

Be well, everyone.