Zachary Andalman

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.