My name is Rebecca Wisenbaker and I am an undergraduate Research Assistant at The University of Texas at Austin, where I’m double-majoring in astronomy and physics as part of the College of Natural Sciences. I am broadly interested in supernovae, stellar evolution, and galaxy evolution through observational and instrumental astronomy.
In my transients research group at UT Austin, I am leading a project to determine the redshift range at which the Roman Space Telescope will be able to detect superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) given its instrumental limitations. To achieve this, I work with Dr. Sebastian Gomez on analyzing his catalog of superluminous supernovae using Python and connecting these results to Roman’s observational capabilities.
Since supernovae are key probes of star formation and early galaxy evolution, deviations between the predicted and detectable populations will help determine whether the star formation rate at these epochs is higher or lower than expected. This will help to improve our current models of star formation.
My research at Northwestern University as a part of the CIERA Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program focuses on constraining the properties of circumstellar dust around Red Supergiant (RSG) supernova progenitor candidates using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). I am working with Dr. Charlie Kilpatrick and Aswin Suresh to extend their research on identifying and classifying RSGs using NIRCam.
As an extension of this work, I am utilizing images from MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) to examine dust emissions around RSGs in M51 and M82 in a broad wavelength range by using Python and modifying existing pipelines.
By placing observational constraints on RSG circumstellar dust composition, we can refine our understanding of late-stage massive stellar evolution and the physical properties of Type II supernova progenitors.
Ultimately, I hope to pursue a career in observational astronomy and continue my work in time-domain and stellar evolution.
