Honors Research Projects

Listed here are the Honors research projects completed by Astronomy undergraduates over the years. Most of their projects were coordinated through the resources presented at UMD Astronomy: Undergraduate Research.

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TITLE STUDENT ADVISOR(S) YEAR
Analysis of Assumptions and Calculations Relevant to Binary Black Holes in AGN Accretion Disks Kate Futrowsky Cole Miller 2022
Eight Outbursting Event of Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke Ky Hyunh Michael Kelley, Jessica Sunshine 2022
Climatological Effects on Transit Spectroscopic Measurements of TRAPPIST-13 Yoav Rotman Thaddeus Komacek 2022
Characterizing HII Regions of the Small Magellanic Cloud Daniel Stapleton Elizabeth Tarantino, Alberto Bolatto 2022
Analyzing Two SEP Events Using Proton Flux Data from STEREO A/B, SOHO, and SolO Lucy Wilkerson Surja Sharma 2022
Finding the Masses of Molecular Clouds Using Herschel Emission Data Lea Feuillet Lee Mundy 2021
Ghostly Halos: The Need to Look Deeper Kathleen Hamilton-Campos Massimo Ricotti 2021
Simulating the propagation speed of a seismic signal through a granular medium Katie Hancock Derek Richardson 2021
Joint Parameter Inference Derivation from Segmented Inference from Galactic Binary LISA Data Analysis Benjamin Johanson John Baker, Cole Miller 2021
Polarimetric Analysis of Comets 2I/Borisov and C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch) Renee Kirk Ludmilla Kolokolova, Jessica Sunshine 2021
A Novel Comb Filter for Type Ia and IIp Supernovae Photometric Redshift Estimations Scott Martin Drake Deming 2021
Exploring the Formation of Primordial Black Holes Using the Fast Fourier Transform and Two Point Correlation Function Valentina Petroni Massimo Ricotti 2021
Microphysics of Localized Structures in the Magnetosphere from Multispacecraft MMS Data Elizabeth Wraback Jason Shuster, Surja Sharma 2021
The Detectability of Plausible Atmospheric and Surface Compositions of LHS 3884b with JWST Emily Whittaker Malik Matej, Eliza Kempton 2021
Multi-Method Investigation of Small-Mass Meteors Using Optical, Radar, and Spectral Observations Emma Mirizio Robert Michell, Derek Richardson 2020
Methodologies for Analyzing and Evaluating Models of Quasar Variability Jacob Golomb Cole Miller 2020
Signatures of Clouds in Hot Jupiter Atmospheres: Modeled High Resolution Emission Spectra from 3D General Circulation Models Caleb Harada Eliza Kempton 2020
Investigations into Blazar Flare Mechanics Claire Hinrichs Richard Mushotzky 2020
Calibration and Data Simulation for RIMAS, the Rapid Infrared Imager-Spectrometer Jillian Kunze Alexander Kutyrev, Sylvain Veilleux 2020
Exploring Spatial and Temporal changes in Hydration on the Lunar South Pole Kristen Laferriere Lori Feaga, Jessica Sunshine 2020
Probing Hot Jupiter Temperatures with TESS Photometry Ryan Morris Drake Deming 2020
Cross-Dispersion System for an Integrated Photonic Spectrograph Meghna Sitaram Sylvain Veilleux 2020
Developing a New Software Pipeline to Spectroscopically Classify BCUs Ryan Skoletsky Roopesh Ojha, Richard Mushotzky 2020
Using Granular Dynamics Simulations with Cohesion to Create Fluffy Regolith Matthew Wilkin Derek Richardson 2020
K2 and Spitzer Transits of Four Super-Earth Exoplanets Alison Duck Drake Deming 2019
Dust Abundances in Molecular Clouds Benjamin Flaggs Tracy Huard, Lee Mundy 2019
K2 Legacy Data: Killing Planet Candidates with EVEREST and Searching for Candidates with Halo Photometry Michael Greklek-McKeon Drake Deming 2019
A New Method of Fitting Extinction Toward Molecular Clouds Kevin Hall Lee Mundy 2019
Search for Orbital Decay in WASP-126b and WASP-18b Justin Harrell Drake Deming 2019
Ionization Mechanisms in Quasar Outflows Jason Hinkle Sylvain Veilleux 2019
Mapping Water-Ice and Silicates Using Broadband Photometry of Background Stars Melanie Rowland Tracy Huard, Lee Mundy 2019
Exploring Star Formation in Five Compact Cores Emma Schwartzman Lee Mundy, Isabelle Joncour 2019
Distribution of Exoplanet Radii Determined from TESS Data Edward Williams Drake Deming 2019
Tidal Stresses in the 2029 Close Encounter with Earth of Proposed APEX Mission Target 99942 Apophis Joseph DeMartini Derek Richardson 2018
Removing Terrestrial Alteration from Meteorite Sample GRA 06128/9 Via Chemical Leaching Anna Engle Jessica Sunshine 2018
Assessing the Quality of Grid-Based Gravitational Fields Mark Hubbert Doug Hamilton 2018
Effects of Anisotropic Viscosity on the Evolution of AGN Bubbles in Galaxy Clusters Matthew Kingsland Karen Yang, Richard Mushotzky 2018
Asteroids Under Stress: Constraining Strength and Evolution Through Spin-Up Simulations Andrew Leisner Derek Richardson 2018
Exploring Shear-free Ringlet Formation with Direction Simulations of Saturn's A and B Rings Yuxi (Lucy) Lu Derek Richardson 2018
Finding Escaper YSOs in the Serpens Cloud Complex Roxana Popescu Isabelle Joncour, Lee Mundy 2018
Prospects for Ground-Based Detection and Follow-Up of TESS-Discovered Planets Matthew Varakian Drake Deming 2018
Sky Localization, Electromagnetic Follow-up, and Cosmology for Third Generation Gravitational Wave Detectors Shreya Anand Leo Singer, Cole Miller 2017
Suppression of AGN-Driven Turbulence by Magnetic Fields in a Magnetohydrodynamic Model of the Intracluster Medium Christopher Bambic Cole Miller, Chris Reynolds 2017
Characterizing Hot Jupiters with Secondary Eclipses: A Statistical Study Using Pixel-Level Decorrelation Emily Garhart Drake Deming 2017
Primordial Black Holes as Dark Matter Candidates: A Numerical Model of Primordial Black Hole Binary Formation and Evolution Victor Meszaros Massimo Ricotti 2017
Heating in Intracluster Gas via Gravity Waves Xiao (Jennifer) Liang Chris Reynolds 2016
Confirming Variability in the Secondary Eclipse Depth of the Super-Earth 55 Cnc e Patrick Tamburo Drake Deming 2016
Library of Tools for Manipulating 3-D Grids Including the Production of Numerically Determined Gravitational Fields Harry Arnold Doug Hamilton 2015
Tracing Exotic Photon Trajectories around Black Holes Allison Bostrom Cole Miller, Chris Reynolds 2015
Tracing Dense Gas in NGC 1333 Kenneth Koester Lee Mundy 2015
Testing and Exploration of the Rotating Neutron Star Code Justin Tervala Cole Miller 2015
Assessing Flat Field Quality at the University of Maryland Observatory David Blankenship Andrew Harris 2014
Global Variations in Lunar Highlands Composition Lily Mannoia Jessica Sunshine 2014
The Formation of the Kepler-36 Planetary System Thomas Rimlinger Doug Hamilton and Derek Richardson 2014
Characterizing Star Formation in the Perseus Cloud Lauren Bittle Lee Mundy 2013
Numerical Studies of Stochastically Perturbed Accretion Discs Philip Cowperthwaite Chris Reynolds 2013
Formation Scenarios and Evolution of the Milky Way's Old Globular Cluster Population Harley Katz Massimo Ricotti 2013
The Modeling and Observation of Exoplanetary Transits Nolan Matthews Drake Deming 2013
Neutron Star Radii: Theoretical Tests of Frequency-Dependent Light curve Analysis Bryan Holler Cole Miller 2012
Numerical Modeling of Rotational Fission of Contact Binary Asteroids Brett M. Morris Derek Richardson 2012
Modes of Two Planet Migration via Planetesimal Scattering using HNBody James Keane Douglas P. Hamilton 2011
Tracking Energetic Particle Trajectories in Simulations of Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection Kalman Knizhnik Massimo Ricotti 2011
Tilting Uranus-Toward a Collisionless Model Lauren Woolsey Douglas P. Hamilton 2011
Measurements of the Mass and Radius of the Neutron Star 4U 1636-53 Using Millisecond Brightness Oscillations during Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts Ryan Abrahams Cole Miller 2010
Mass and Radius Constraints of 4U 1728-34 Brian Prager Cole Miller 2010
Mass Segregation around Supermassive Black Holes Ashley King Cole Miller 2009
Resonant Origins for Pluto's High Inclination Curran Muhlberger Douglas P. Hamilton 2008
Calibration of the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation Using Gas Dominated Galaxies David V. Stark Stacy McGaugh 2008
A Chandra X-ray Study of NGC 5775 Diana Hanson Chris Reynolds 2007
Dynamics of Uranian Dust Sheets Alexandra Lockwood Douglas P. Hamilton 2007
Searching for Low Surface Brightness Galaxies Daniel Schwartz Stacy McGaugh 2007
Magnetorotational Instability: Theory and Experiment in Accretion Disk Dynamics Barbara Brawn Eve Ostriker 2006
CCD Photometry of the Globular Cluster ESO452-SC11 Alexis Cornish Suchitra Balachandran 2006
Numerical Experiments with Rubble Piles: Critical Breakup Densities for Oblate Spheroids Pradeep Elankumaran Douglas Hamilton 2006
Dust Transfer Between Earth and Mars Paul Ries Douglas Hamilton 2005
A Computational Study of Core Rotation in Globular Clusters Mia Bovill Cole Miller 2004
Optical Monitoring of Blazars MRK421 and PKS1406-076 Jessica Ennis Christopher Reynolds 2004
An Analytical Approach to the Distribution of Oort Cloud-Originating Comets Jeremy Miller Douglas Hamilton 2004
The Orbital Evolution of the Galilean Satellites Kaveh Pahlevan Douglas Hamilton 2004
Determination of the Density of Jupiter's Moon Amalthea Robyn Sanderson Douglas Hamilton 2003
Interaction of a Planar Shock Wave with Cloud Material in the Interstellar Medium Eric Schindhelm James Stone, Douglas Hamilton, Cole Miller 2003
Orbital Dynamics of Asteroidal Dust Patrick Taylor Douglas Hamilton 2003
Undergraduate Comprehension of Cosmology by Gender and Informal Education Elizabeth Miller Grace Deming 2002
Dynamical Evolution of the Jovian Satellite System Amada Proctor Douglas Hamilton 2002
A Superstar Cluster in NGC 3690 Stacy Teng Lee Mundy 2002
Cosmological Constraints from Rotation Curves of Low Surface Brightness Galaxies Michael Barker Stacy McGaugh 2001
Optical and Far-Ultraviolet Morphology of Galaxies Melanie Freed Sylvain Veilleux 2001
Origins of the Terrestrial Planets: Numerical Simulations to Explore Planetary Formation Amir Caspi Douglas Hamilton 2000
Seeking Evidence of Frame Dragging in Active Galactic Nuclei Sheri Calvo Wan Chen 1999
Emission Line Observations of Comet Hale-Bopp Nathaniel Doane Michael A'Hearn 1999
Dusty Rings around Saturn Linda Harden Douglas Hamilton 1998
Modeling of CO Line Emission from Circumstellar Disks Stephanie McLaughlin Lee Mundy 1998
An Infrared Study of Saturn's Rings during the Ring Plane Crossing of 1995 Lori Lanier Douglas Hamilton 1997
Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology II    Joint Space-Science Center    Two intriguing investigations -- One flight-proven spacecraft    UMd Astronomy-Cote d'Azur Observatory Scientific Cooperation and Academic Exchange