Hi there! I am a fifth year graduate student in the Department of Astronomy at Boston University. I am investigating why the lower part of the Sun’s atmosphere gets so hot. To do that, I run computer simulations and work on plasma instability theory. I really enjoy writing advanced computer code (see e.g. SymSolver Project and BUpytools). I especially enjoy creating tools to solve the simplest pieces of a complicated problem, then using those tools to create more tools, until eventually I have a tool which can solve the original problem!

My recent work was highlighted in the July 12, 2023 edition of AAS Nova!

I use theory and computer simulations to investigate astronomical phenomena. My current research involves collaborating with Juan Martínez-Sykora and other members of the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory group, utilizing the 3D radiative multi-fluid magnetohydrodynamic solar simulator Ebysus to simulate meter-scale plasma instabilities in the Sun’s atmosphere. I also work with Meers Oppenheim and Yakov Dimant at BU, to explore the underlying theory, and use that theory to make predictions about turbulence in the Sun’s atmosphere. I hope to to further our understanding of the solar atmosphere, and potentially help solve the mystery of coronal heating.

Please feel free to contact me at sevans7 -at- bu.edu with questions or comments.

(This page was last updated on September 19, 2023)