Brian W. O'Shea - Available positions


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I am looking for multiple students who are interested in pursuing a PhD in Astrophysics, Physics, or Computational Science (or a dual PhD combining aspects of two of those) with a research focus in computational galaxy evolution, computational plasma physics, and machine learning applied to these research areas. Some specific projects include:

  1. Probing galaxy evolution, star formation in galaxies, and the flow of gas into and out of galaxies over a wide range of redshifts, with particular emphasis on (I) using synthetic observations to connect simulations to observations (as part of the FOGGIE collaboration) and (II) the development of an exascale cosmology code (as part of the Enzo-E collaboration).
  2. The development of an exascale fluid- and particle-based plasma simulation code based on the Athena-PK code (which is a GPU-enabled version of Athena++) and its application to a range of problems including plasma turbulence, high energy density plasma experiments (including fusion energy-related experiments like Sandia’s Z Machine), and spacecraft propulsion systems. This project includes collaborations with Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, and internships at those laboratories are possible.
  3. Applying machine learning techniques to connect simulations of physical phenomena on a range of spatial and temporal scales, as applied to simulations of galaxy formation and terrestrial plasma experiments. A particular focus is on the development of methods that maintain physical consistency and stability across regimes (for example, ensuring energy conservation). This project includes collaborations with Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, and internships at those laboratories are possible.
No prior experience with any of these subjects is expected - only interest in learning about them! Depending on their interests and background, students pursuing one of these projects at Michigan State University would be a PhD student in either the Department of Physics and Astronomy or the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering (which is a unique department focusing on the development of new algorithms and their applications across a wide range of disciplines). A Fall 2024 start date is desirable. My research group is highly interactive, with students and postdoctoral researchers often working together on projects within the group as well as with other researchers at MSU and collaborator institutions. I am delighted to strongly support PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the pursuit of the career path that most interests them, and former members of my group are in a range of positions in academia, industry, and the U.S. national laboratories.

If you are potentially interested in one or more of these projects or would like to know more about my research group or one of the departments I am affiliated with, please reach out to me at oshea@msu.edu.