Andrew Sullivan

 I am a graduate student in physics at Stanford University under the mentorship of Profs. Roger W. Romani and Roger D. Blandford. Before arriving at Stanford, I was an undergraduate student at Columbia University, where I served as a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and studied features of merging compact binaries under the mentorship of Szabolcs and Zsuzsanna Marka.

 

I am broadly interested in astrophysical phenomena related to black holes and neutron stars. My PhD work focuses on each of these sources, as I am currently studying spider pulsars as well as supermassive black hole-powered double radio sources. My work on spider pulsars aims at specifically modeling the X-ray emission produced by the intrabinary shocks formed between the pulsar and its stellar companion. Theoretical modeling coupled with X-ray and optical observations of these sources probes the plasma physics of the shocks as well as the features of the component neutron star, including its magnetosphere and equation of state. Additionally, I am studying a unique class of double radio sources denoted as compact symmetric objects, which display small radio jets. I also remain interested in gravitational wave sources, particularly potential electromagnetic signatures that might accompany binary black hole and neutron star mergers.

 

I am excited to be a part of SCEECS and collaborate with other members to study the unique features of compact objects.