Research
Graduate Work
Since the summer of 2010 I have been working on obtaining, from the
literature, a large sample of MgII absorbing galaxies found in quasar
spectra and confirmed in optical images. Using the properties of these
galaxies and their absorption characteristics, Chris and I will be
able to obtain statistics on these galaxy properties to constrain halo
sizes and how galaxies evolve over time.
I began my graduate studies in July 2009, working with Chris Churchill
in the extragalactic group. I completed a project where I coadded
spectra for quasars at various redshifts by comparing the wavelengths
of lines in each spectra to determine if a shift of one spectrum is
needed. The end result was a spectrum with greater signal/noise that
covers a larger wavelength range.
Undergraduate Work
Before arriving at NMSU, I worked with Tim Beers at Michigan State
University (MSU), using Python to analyze kinematic data on F-type
stars in the solar neighborhood. I then compared this data to Tim's
SDSS data to determine membership in the thick disk and the inner or
outer halo and search for additional substructures in my sample. This
research cemented my interests in galaxies.
While at MSU I was an active member of the Society of Physics Students
(SPS) for several years, and served as the secretary in 2008 and
president in 2009. I enjoyed creating an informal research colloquium
series for SPS, inviting professors in related departments to speak to
us about their research efforts and experiences. I also organized a
tour of MSU's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL).
Teaching
I have been a teaching assistant for Introduction to Astronomy (ASTR
110), Into the Final Frontier (ASTR 308), Life in the Universe (ASTR
305) and Revolutions in Science (ASTR 301).
Meetings
May 2012: STScI May Symposium: Gas Flows in Galaxies
Poster: "Using ~170 MgII Absorbers to Understand Galactic Winds
and IGM Accretion"
Nielsen, N. M., Churchill, C. W., & Kacprzak, G. G.
January 2012: 219th American Astronomical Society meeting
Poster: "A Standardized Catalog of 225 MgII Absorption-Selected
Galaxies: Correlations, Covering Fractions and Cantankerous Outliers"
Nielsen, N. M., Churchill, C. W., & Kacprzak, G. G.
Support
I am pleased to acknowledge support from the New Mexico Space Grant
Consortium. I would like to thank the National Science Foundation for
a generous East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI) Fellowship
to conduct research at Swinburne University of Technology in
Melbourne, Australia in June, July, and August 2012.
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