As a sophomore pursuing a B.S. in Computational Software with a minor in
Mathematical Sciences, Hannah Havel has had the opportunity to work on a team with talented
faculty from both the Mathematical Sciences department and Computer Science
department. This year, Hannah works on a team with Dr. McCord, Dr. Karonis, Dr. Duffin, and
two other undergraduate computer science students, as an extension of her
independent research last year regarding the Newtonian N-body problem under the
mentorship of Dr. McCord.
In celestial mechanics, the N-body problem studies how
celestial bodies interact with one another with mutual gravitational attraction.
Understanding the motion of our solar system, cluster star systems, and visible stars
has importance to many fields. Contrary to last year, where her research was based
more in mathematics and physics, Hannah uses GPU and parallel computing, still with celestial
mechanics and topology applications. The
goal is to modify a computer program in C++, utilizing the CAPD library for homology computation, that calculates central configurations of the N-body problem for equal mass particles. Specifically, at eight, nine, and ten equal masses the list of central configurations has not yet been established. Thus, it is not confirmed that all of the current families identified are central configurations, nor that the list is complete.
Hannah’s experience as a part of the McKearn Research Fellowship has allowed her to engage in writing development in preparation for another publication, receive support and information regarding scholarships and fellowships in her field, and receive funding
for her research. Hannah shared that guest lectures from Ashley Bartelt, the program director for NIU’s University Writing Center, were especially beneficial in understanding the complexities
of submitting to different academic journals and what to watch for before submission.
Hannah, along with the other students in her cohort, will present at NIU’s Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE), as well as the Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (CAURS) this spring.
Hannah said, “I believe that the support I have received and the experiences I have had as a
McKearn Research Fellow helped me in securing an undergraduate research internship
at Argonne National Laboratory this summer. There, I will engage in quantum computing
research with applications in nuclear engineering, specifically in simulating fluid
dynamics. Overall, in pursuing research for another academic year, I have strengthened
my passion for computer science and mathematics, and solidified my intentions to
pursue a graduate education in Computational Mathematics and eventually a research
career.”
The McKearn Fellows Program transforms fellows’ undergraduate experience and advances their professional development by providing them with academic programming, funding for enrichment experiences, and personalized advising. The program carries the name of two distinguished NIU alumni, John and Cassandra McKearn, who make this opportunity possible for motivated students in the Honors Program.
