Fellow Profile Page

Mary Gerhardinger

  • Program Year: 2
  • Academic Institution: University of Pennsylvania
  • Field of Study: Natural Science
  • Academic Advisor: Mark Trodden
  • Practicum(s): Practicum Not Yet Completed
  • Degree(s):
    B.A. Physics, Kenyon College, 2022

Summary of Research

I investigate questions of how spacetime evolves and interacts with energy by creating and testing current models that examine the fundamental physics which is the foundation of our Universe. I utilize computational simulations of various theoretical models to test these theories and generate predictions for the formation of the Universe. This includes a wide variety of topics, such as approaches to dark energy and dark matter, probing beyond Einstein's theory of gravity, and inflation and its problems.

Publications

(1) "Well-posed UV completion for simulating scalar Galileons" By Mary Gerhardinger, John T. Giblin, Jr., Andrew J. Tolley, and Mark Trodden
Phys. Rev. D 106,043522. Published 15 August 2022

(2) "The Effect of Dynamical Fluids on the Resonant Decay of Early Dark Energy" by Tristan Smith, John T. Giblin, Mary Gerhardinger, and Ericka Florio (In Preparation)

"Relativistic Fluid Simulations in Nonlinear Gravity," Poster presented at APS April Meeting 2022

"Galileons and Gravity: Improving Computational Simulations," Talk at Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics 2022

"Modeling Relativistic Fluids in General Relativity," Honors Presentation at Kenyon College Colloquium, 2021

"The Hubble Tension and Early Dark Energy: Studying Nonlinear Instabilities," Talk at Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics 2021

Awards

APS Apker Award Finalist (2022)
Phi Beta Kappa, Kenyon Chapter (2022)
Graduated summa cum laude, Kenyon College (2022)
Graduated with Highest Honors and Distinction in Physics, Kenyon College (2022)
NSF GRFP Honorable Mention (2022)
NCWIT Collegiate Award Finalist and Honorable Mention (2022)
Kenyon College Merit List (2018-2022)
Kenyon College Distinguished Academic Scholar (2018-2022)
Summer Science Scholar, Kenyon College (2021)
Sigma Xi, Kenyon and Dennison Chapter (2021)
Clare Boothe Luce Scholar (2020)
Sigma Pi Sigma, Kenyon Chapter (2020)
Eta Sigma Phi, Kenyon Chapter (2018)