Our understanding of particle physics began with atmospheric studies. Victor Hess’s balloon flights in 1911 kicked off this revolution when he discovered a new type of radiation [1]. By distinguishing ground radiation and extrasolar radiation, mainly from the sun, the new field of astroparticle physics was created. As detectors increased in their capabilities, individual cosmic ray showers could be spotted by coupling Geiger counters and cameras to photograph a cloud chamber [2]. This method allowed the observation of different components of cosmic rays. Within these components, new particles such as the muon, positron, and a multitude of particles with strange quarks. However, as man-made accelerators became more powerful, the focus turned to these controlled environments that could be studied in more depth. As accelerators reach their limits, it is imperative to look to the universe in order to find more exotic phenomena and remember that cosmic rays are not the only particles in the universe that pass through the atmosphere …. The search for cosmic rays has focused almost solely on close to light speed particles and in turn, has neglected a search for other particles. With the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO), the first collaboration to search for cosmic rays from above, as well as more proposed experiments such as the Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA), other phenomena can be studied at higher altitudes.

I have always been naturally inclined towards mathematics and science, but a field as foreign as astrophysics seemed like a topic that I would never explore. It wasn’t until the spring of 2013 when I was introduced to the Science Internship Program at UC Santa Cruz, a program that primarily offers astrophysics internships, that I took interest in the topic. Instead of being turned away by the unknown world of outer space, I took it as an opportunity to take a chance and learn something new … I was placed under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan Trump, and I found out my project would be researching quasars, the extremely bright nuclei of some active galaxies, and their scattered light. I calculated the effect of this scattered light on the overall brightness of the galaxy in order to see if the scattered light was affecting the results of past research on quasars and their host galaxies …

Despite the changes in custom and language that occurred simultaneously in my life as I moved from South Korea to America, math was the one thing that made me feel secure and confident. Math provided me with a sense of direction through the confusion and cultural difference I had to overcome. Therefore, I began to devote my time to mathematics, taking advantage of all the research opportunities that were available in the field . . . I had not initially held an interest in astrophysics, but this project helped me develop a new inquisitiveness. This project introduced me to a realm of science that captured my attention from the start. It is a type of science that cannot be physically observed but has tremendous effects on life on Earth: nuclear physics.

Astronomy has always captivated me, and after being introduced to the constellation Orion at a young age, I marveled at its steadfast loyalty as it returned each winter. The night sky seemed awesome and mystifying . . . I began researching and following the patterns of the moon and the night sky, as well as lunar and solar eclipses. I was thrilled when our family got a telescope . . . A neutron star is one of the densest objects in the universe, containing on average about 1.5 solar masses and having a radius of approximately 12 kilometers (Lattimer et al., 2004). For this reason, the neutron star may exhibit unique particle phenomena including superfluidity, superconductivity, and hyperon and quark-dominated matter, and provides many opportunities to study and test the theories of particle, nuclear, and dense matter astrophysics (Manchester et al., 2004). Despite the many significant advances in the field, there is still much that remains unknown regarding neutron stars, including their radii and shapes as they rotate (Shapiro et al., 2004). It is imperative that these properties be established before astronomers can use neutron stars to test more complex aspects of physics (Webb et al., 2007)…..