Gregory Vance

Background

About Gregory Vance

Astrophysics PhD graduate from Arizona State University, where I researched core-collapse supernova nucleosynthesis and the origins of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. Earned undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics from Connecticut College. Interested in scientific programming, computer simulation, data science, and statistical analysis. Skills include general knowledge of physics and astronomy, Python and C programming, statistical hypothesis testing, data mining and visualization, and Monte Carlo simulation. Problem solver, quick learner, and in search of new challenges. My dissertation is a study of nucleosynthesis in core-collapse supernovae. Using 3D hydrodynamics simulations, I explored how asymmetries in the explosion geometry affect the elemental yields. Fully three-dimensional supernova simulations are uncommon, and detailed analyses of the effects of asymmetry are even more sparse. Real supernova explosions are frequently observed to be messy and asymmetrical, but nearby supernovae are rare events. Computer simulations allow us to understand the production of new elements in the universe on more human-friendly timescales. My secondary research used data published by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. IceCube detects high-energy neutrino particles from the distant universe, but most of their detections have yet to be attributed to any astronomical object. My work was a statistical analysis using Monte Carlo randomization to search for spatial associations between IceCube neutrino events and known astronomical objects in our galaxy. Years beyond these first steps, neutrino astronomy may one day become an important complement to traditional astronomy using light.