The Elusive Space Fireworks with Tomas Ahumada

Skype a Scientist Live

I am a Chilean astronomer searching for optical counterparts of short gamma-ray bursts and gravitational waves. Currently, I am a third year Astronomy PhD student at the University of Maryland (UMD). I am working with Dr. Leo Singer from NASA using the Zwicky Transient Facility to cover large portions of the sky and maximize the probability to find transients in the northern nightsky. I obtained my undergraduate degree from the P. Universidad Católica de Chile where I majored in Astronomy. While there, I worked using machine learning algorithms to find quasars in the ATLAS survey. During my senior year summer, I was part of the Cerro Tololo (CTIO) Reaserch Experience for Undergraduates and worked on identifying globular clusters an a shell-elliptical galaxy. After my graduation I interned at the Gemini Observatory and further analyzed the morphology of the galaxy.