Andrea Irwin
Andrea's PhD research focuses on research focuses on novel simulation techniques in plasmas.
Physics PhD student
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Profile
I'm from Washington State in the US, near Seattle. I've always been interested in all kinds of science, but I became interested in dynamical systems and the intersection of mathematics, computer science, and physics in middle school. I started writing my own physics simulations in high school, focusing on fluid flow and electromagnetism. I studied physics and computer science more seriously at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington. I initially visited Wellington on a study-away program, and then decided to study here full-time.
I view simulation as an art form, like capturing a scene in a painting. Writing a simulation not only replicates the real world, but forces you to understand it. I'm very excited to be writing my own plasma simulation from the ground up for my PhD project, and I hope that my code ends up being useful to other scientists.
As well as my academic pursuits, I also have strong interests in music (jazz, electronic) and game development.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science (cum laude) in Physics (minors in Music, Mathematics, and Computer Science), PLU
Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physics, Victoria University of Wellington
Research interests
Plasma and plasma simulation, fluid flows, classical electromagnetism, turbulence, dynamical systems, signal processing.
PhD topic
Novel simulation techniques in plasmas
Supervisors
Dr Tulasi Parashar, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Dr Brendan Harding, School of Mathematics and Statistics