I am a senior undergraduate student at UCSC studying astrophysics. I come from the beautiful city of Hong Kong.

My research focuses on the helium donor channel of thermonuclear supernovae. In this scenario, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf accretes from a Roche-filling non-degenerate helium star and grows up to Chandrasekhar mass resulting in a thermonuclear supernova. My previous project involves using the stellar evolution code MESA to study the mass transfer history for various combinations of binary component masses and orbital periods, such that we can better understand the progenitor systems of thermonuclear supernovae coming from the helium donor channel. My current project involves using the hydrodynamic code FLASH to study the interaction between the wind outflow from these systems and the interstellar medium. My advisors are Professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Josiah Schwab at UCSC.

Publications:

“Evolution of Helium Star – White Dwarf Binaries Leading up to Thermonuclear Supernovae”, Tin Long Sunny Wong, Josiah Schwab. 2019, Submitted.

 

 

mail: twong31 [at] ucsc.edu