For two Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students, a summer research trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts, offered an exciting opportunity: participation in a professional astrophysics workshop at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.

Ishaan Dhanwantry, an Astronomy senior with a minor in mathematics, presented his research as an undergraduate at Chandra’s Dynamic Universe, a workshop organized by the Chandra X-ray Center. Fellow student Yunia Orina, a Space Physics senior, also attended the Aug. 18-20 event.

“It was really surprising seeing how many different people in different stages of their career can still contribute to scientific discoveries and advancements,” Dhanwantry said. “I was excited to have been able to talk to graduate students, postdocs, research scientists and faculty.”

Yunia said the experience also influenced how she thinks about her future.

“These events aid in shaping who I would like to become and what direction I would like to take my career,” she said. “Whether it is hearing new findings investigated by a group of experts from an amazing space telescope to chatting with some of the leading scientists in the field about their journey, it really inspires you to continue moving forward.”

Dhanwantry’s research focuses on IGR J16320-4751, a high-mass X-ray binary system in which a neutron star orbits a supergiant star. His project examines the system’s “clumpy stellar wind,” which affects the orbiting neutron star and causes changes in the system’s X-ray emissions.

With guidance from Dr. Pragati Pradhan, an assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus, Dhanwantry used observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA missions to compare changes in the system’s brightness and absorption at different points in its orbit.

Dhanwantry said the research contributes to a broader effort to understand how massive stars distribute matter and energy through space.

For Dhanwantry, engaging with the astronomy community directly was one of the most rewarding aspects of the workshop.

“Answering questions that some of the audience members had was really daunting,” he said. “But I liked how it challenged me in a different way than just the presentation would have.”

Dhanwantry’s presentation was one of many at the workshop, where students and professors alike showcased their research using data collected from Chandra. At the conference, Yunia attended talks ranging from cosmic dust chemistry to the use of neutrinos to monitor coronal emissions from active galactic nuclei.

“One of the things that surprised me was just how many different subfields there are in high-energy astrophysics,” she said. “It opened so many different avenues within this field, and that is what was so thrilling about it.”

Yunia’s experience at the workshop reflects the type of undergraduate research opportunities afforded at Embry-Riddle. 

“Although Embry-Riddle is best known for aviation and aerospace, our physics students are also making an impact at major conferences and more focused workshops like the Chandra Dynamic Universe Workshop,” said Pradhan. “These experiences help students build connections with scientists around the world and connect what they learn in class to research in real time.”