At Brown, under Professor Jonathan Pober's guidance, I specialized in 21-cm cosmology. My research focuses on detecting and mitigating radio frequency interference (RFI) in astronomical data, particularly within observations of the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). The EoR marks a pivotal period in the universe’s history, where the first stars and galaxies formed, ionizing the surrounding neutral hydrogen. By studying the 21-centimeter hydrogen line, we can trace this transition and better understand early cosmic structure formation.
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I have worked extensively with data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), adapting algorithms like HERA’s XRFI module to optimize the detection of RFI in these datasets. My methodology involves tuning advanced flagging algorithms to reduce false positives while preserving the integrity of the observed cosmic signals. This work is crucial in enhancing the precision of cosmological studies by improving the quality of interferometric data through RFI mitigation.
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You can find my thesis here.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I returned to China to continue my studies remotely while actively seeking research opportunities. I secured an internship at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO), where I worked alongside Prof. Zhen Yan and collaborator Wenke Xia on pulsar observation and data analysis using the Shanghai Tianma 65m Radio Telescope. Together, we developed a Python-based tool, AstroScheduler, which automated the creation of observation outlines for radio sources, significantly improving operational efficiency. I also contributed to processing pulsar data into usable formats, facilitating further analysis and interpretation. You can explore the AstroScheduler project here.
This experience deepened my expertise in radio astronomy and strengthened my programming and data analysis skills.
