Kiran Eiden

  • Program Year: 4
  • Academic Institution: University of California, Berkeley
  • Field of Study: Astrophysics
  • Academic Advisor: Daniel Kasen
  • Practicum(s):
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2022)
  • Degree(s):
    B.S. Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, 2020

Summary of Research

My primary research interests are in computational and nuclear astrophysics. I mainly work on a project aimed at using multidimensional hydrodynamics simulations to study the explosion mechanism underlying Type I X-ray bursts, which are massive thermonuclear explosions on the surfaces of neutron stars. Specifically, the study focuses on the growth and propagation of thermonuclear vortices that form on the surface of the star during these events. Developing a better understanding of the physical processes underlying the explosion can help to explain observable features of X-ray bursts and would potentially aid in constraining the nuclear equation of state.

Publications

Z. Chen, M. Zingale, K. Eiden (2023). Sensitivity of He Flames in X-ray Bursts to Nuclear Physics. arXiv e-prints:2306.16320. Accepted to ApJ

M. Zingale, K. Eiden, M. P. Katz (2023). Comparing Early Evolution of Flames in X-ray Bursts in Two and Three Dimensions. ApJ, 952, 2

A. I. Smith, E. T. Johnson, Z. Chen, K. Eiden, D. E. Willcox, B. Boyd, L. Cao, C. DeGrendele, M.Zingale (2023). pynucastro: A Python Library for Nuclear Astrophysics. ApJ, 947, 2

A. Harpole, N. M. Ford, K. Eiden, M. Zingale, D. E. Willcox, Y. Cavecchi, and M. P. Katz (2021). Dynamics of Laterally Propagating Flames in X-ray Bursts. II. Realistic Burning and Rotation. ApJ, 912, 1

M. P. Katz, A. Almgren, M. Barrios Sazo, K. Eiden, K. Gott, A. Harpole, J. M. Sexton, D. E. Willcox, W. Zhang and M. Zingale (2020). Preparing Nuclear Astrophysics for Exascale. In Proceedings of the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis, SC '20 (IEEE Press)

K. Eiden, M. Zingale, A. Harpole, D. E. Willcox, Y. Cavecchi, and M. P. Katz (2020). Dynamics of Laterally Propagating Flames in X-ray Bursts. I. Burning Front Structure. ApJ, 894, 6

M. Zingale, A. S. Almgren, M. Barrios Sazo, J. B. Bell, K. Eiden, A. Harpole, M. P. Katz, A. J. Nonaka, D. E. Willcox, and W. Zhang (2020). The Castro AMR Simulation Code: Current and Future Developments. J. Phys. Conf. Ser., 1623, 012021

M. Zingale, K. Eiden, Y. Cavecchi, A. Harpole, J. B. Bell, M. Chang, I. Hawke, M. P. Katz, C. M. Malone, A. J. Nonaka, D. E. Willcox, and W. Zhang (2019). Toward Resolved Simulations of Burning Fronts in Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts. J. Phys. Conf. Ser., Vol. 1225, 012005

Awards

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (declined in favor of DOE CSGF), 2020
John S. Toll Prize for Outstanding Graduating Senior in Physics, SBU, Spring 2020
Undergraduate Recognition Award for Academic Excellence, SBU, Spring 2019 and Spring 2020
Inst. for Advanced Computational Science Young Writer's Scholarship, SBU, Spring 2020
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Research Award, SBU, Fall 2019
Inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma physics honor society, Spring 2019
Presidential Scholarship, SBU, 2016-2020
University Scholars Program, SBU, 2016-2020