REU Student Mishaal Jan Publishes Summer Research Study about Massive Star Forming Region

Figure in paper, provided by Dr. Ginsburg

Education

REU Student Mishaal Jan Publishes Summer Research Study about Massive Star Forming Regionn

Mishaal I. Jan, a 2019 Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) summer student at the Arecibo Observatory, recently published her summer project on the detection of radio recombination lines in one of the most active star forming regions of our galaxy in the 2020 Compendium of Undergraduate Research in Astronomy and Space Physics. Using AO, Ms. Jan and advisor Dr. Anish Roshi observed the radio recombination lines of hydrogen, helium, and carbon in the giant molecular cloud complex W51 and described the results in their article titled Radio Recombination Line Observations Toward the Massive Star Forming Region W51A.

“This work is a stepping stone for learning about star formation because the cloud complex W51 is massive and extremely active,” Ms. Jan explained. “From the recombination lines, we can characterize the internal motion of gas in the star forming region and its temperature, which can be used to learn about the processes of massive star formation”.

"This work is a stepping stone for learning about star formation because the cloud complex W51 is massive and extremely active..." - Mishaal I. Jan, Past AO-REU and UG Astrophysics Student from University of Colorado, Boulder

In January, Ms. Jan planned to present her study at the American Astronomical Society’s 235th meeting in Hawaii, but due to an injury only days before the conference, she was not able to attend. However, she did everything she could to ensure her work was represented there. Ms. Jan explained, “I spent a lot of time on it, so I was really glad Dr. Roshi helped make sure the poster made it to the meeting.”

Ms. Jan is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado, Boulder, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Astrophysics. She also conducts research on exoplanets using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

When asked about the REU program at the Arecibo Observatory, Ms. Jan described it as an incredible experience. "I learned so much that I would never have learned in the classroom," she recounted. "Getting to use the 305 meter dish and seeing the telescope move was amazing." She also shared how valuable her friendships with the other REU students are, and that it was “great to learn from and teach one another, since we were all working on very different projects”. She added, “Getting to explore the island of Puerto Rico was also really incredible.”

Ms. Jan summarized her REU experience as giving her "a good sense for what it would actually be like to do this type of work as a real job".

The REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation to support active research participation by undergraduate students. The Arecibo Observatory was one of the first astronomy REU sites, and has been hosting the program since 1987, though AO has operated undergraduate internship programs since 1972.

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Article written by Dr. Tracy Becker - AO Collaborator / SwRI Research Scientist Contact: tbecker@swri.edu REU Program Principal Investigator Dr. Anne Virkki Arecibo Observatory (UCF) 787-878-2612 ext. 615 avirkki@naic.edu

Head of the Astronomy Dept. Dr. Anish Roshi Arecibo Observatory aroshi@naic.edu

Keywords: arecibo, observatory, reu, Mishaal, jan, undergraduate, colorado, boulder, research, experience, summer, American, Astronomical, Society, National, Science, Foundation, W51, star