Practicum Experience(s)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (2024)
Summary of Research
I am a Ph.D. student at the Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences. I use a combination of simulations and semi-analytic models to understand the physics of transients, a class of astrophysical phenomena which change brightness over human timescales (< years) such as supernovae, gamma ray bursts, and compact object mergers. These energetic events often produce multi-messenger signals i.e. electromagnetic radiation, gravitational radiation, cosmic rays. The current decade promises to be a golden age of transient astronomy, with new instruments like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Simulations are an excellent tool for understanding how these events work because they often involved coupled non-linear physics. My primary research focus is tidal disruption events (TDEs), where a star is torn apart by the tidal field of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). I'm interested in what physical processes operate in TDEs and how they can teach us about fundamental accretion physics. I also am interested in kilonovae and high redshift galaxy formation.
Annual Program Review Abstracts
Publications
Andalman, Z. L.; Fryer, C.; Fontes, C.; Mumpower, M.; & Wolleager, R. (2026). Beta-Particle Transport and Thermalization in Kilonova Ejecta with Detailed Atomic Microphysics. Submitted to MNRAS. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026arXiv260701228A/abstract
Sunseri, J.; Andalman, Z. L.; Teyssier, R. (2026). Supermassive Black Hole Growth in Massive Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn. MNRAS. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026MNRAS.550g1129S/abstract
Andalman, Z. L.; Quataert, E.; Coughlin, E.; & Nixon, C. (2026). Resolving the (Debate About) Nozzle Shocks in Tidal Disruption Events. OJAp. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026OJAp....962785A/abstract
Nixon, C.; Coughlin, E.; & Andalman, Z. L. (2026). On the Origin of Anomalous Dissipation in Simulations of Tidal Disruption Events. In press at ApJ. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026arXiv260520327N/abstract
Andalman, Z. L., Teyssier, R., & Avishai, D. (2025). On the Origin of the High Star-Formation Efficiency in Massive Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn. MNRAS. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2025MNRAS.540.3350A/abstract
Kaaz, N.; Liska, Matthew T. P.; Jacquemin-Ide, J.; Andalman, Z. L.; Musoke, G.; Tchekhovskoy, A.; Porth, O. (2023). Nozzle Shocks, Disk Tearing and Streamers Drive Rapid Accretion in 3D GRMHD Simulations of Warped Thin Disks. MNRAS. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023ApJ...955...72K/abstract
Andalman, Z. L.; Liska, M. T. P.; Tchekhovskoy, A.; Coughlin, E. R.; & Stone, N. (2022). Tidal Disruption Discs Formed and Fed by Stream-stream and Stream-disc Interactions in Global GRHD Simulations. MNRAS. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022MNRAS.510.1627A/abstract
Awards
1st place talk at the Los Alamos National Lab Center for Nonlinear Studies student talk series. 2024.
Martin Schwarzschild Fellowship. Departmental award. 2023.
1st place undergraduate poster at the 20th meeting of the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD-20). 2023.