Research Interest
Theoretical Astrophysics: gravitational wave progenitors, blue stragglers, tidal physics, asteroseismology, binary and stellar evolution, binary population synthesis
Work
2021.9 ~ present -- Postdoc, CIERA, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
Main collaborator: Vicky Kalogera
2018.9 ~ 2021.8 -- Postdoc, Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
Main collaborator: Rich Townsend and Bob Mathieu
Education
2012.8 ~ 2018.6 -- Ph.D in Astronomy, Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, VA, USA
Ph.D Thesis: Pulsating White Dwarfs and Orbital Decay in Binaries
Adivsor: Phil Arras
2008.9 ~ 2012.6 -- B.S. in Physics, National Key Fundamental Courses of Physics (an Elite class, in Chinese基地班), Wuyuzhang Honorary College, College of Physics, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
Undergraduate Thesis: Scaling of the Transverse Kinetic Energy Distributions for Strange Particles in RHIC and LHC Region (Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award)
Advisor: Lilin Zhu
Computer Skills
Fortran, Python, MESA (Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics, an open-source stellar evolution code; 10 years user, 2024 MESA "Summer" School lecturer), GYRE (an open-source stellar oscillations code; developer), POSYDON (POpulation SYnthesis with Detailed binary-evolution simulatiONs, a next-generation single and binary-star population synthesis code based on MESA models; developer), MATLAB, Photoshop, IRAF
Service
Invited 2024 MESA Summer School Lecturer (Topic of Teaching: GYRE-tides)
External Reviews for HST Proposal Cycle 29, Cycle 31
Referee for AAS journals, MNRAS
UW Madison Astronomy Department Science Talk Organizer
Volunteer of the Astronomy Night at the Dearborn Observatory (Northwestern University)
Volunteer of the Fan Mountain Public Night (University of Virginia)
Volunteer of the McCormick Observatory Public Night (University of Virginia)
Volunteer of the 4th Annual Central Virginia Star Party
Volunteer of the Beijing Planetarium
Approved Proposal
2022 Co-I, Cycle 30 HST Proposal, Testing the Limits of Mass Transfer Stability With A Post-Mass-Transfer Binary In M67, 10 orbits
2021 Co-I, TESS GI Cycle 4 Planetary Archaeology: Exploring the Planet Population around Evolved Stars with TESS
2020 Co-I, Cycle 28 HST Proposal, Blue Lurkers: Low-Mass Blue Stragglers and the Stability of Mass Transfer, 17 orbits
2020 Co-I, NOAO Proposal, A Study of Binary Populations and Alternative Path- ways of Stellar Evolution in Open Clusters
2020 Co-I, NOAO Proposal, An Exploration of NEID Spectra for the Study of Alter- native Pathways of Stellar Evolution in Open Clusters
Observing Experience
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 4 nights, October 2018
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 5 nights, March 2019
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 3 nights, September 2019
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 2 nights, December 2019
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 1 night, March 2020
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 2 nights, December 2020
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 2 nights, March 2021
WIYN 3.5m HYDRA spectroscopy, 1 night, July 2021
Professional Development
Attended the 2022 Binary Program at KITP, UC Santa Barbara, March - April 2022
Attended the MESA Summer School, UC Santa Barbara, August 2014
Research Advising Experience
Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia, VA, USA
Teaching Assistant, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Advisor: Kevin Xia (undergrad student at University of California, Santa Barbara)
Advisor: Lydia Leung (high school student at Yew Chung International School, Shanghai, China)
Advisor: Sasha Levina (CIERA 2022 REU program, undergrad student at Haverford College, then: Ph.D candidate at Johns Hopkins University)
Co-advisor: David Szymulewski (undergrad student at UW Madison, then: University of Southern California)
Outreach Publications (in Chinese)
Sun, Meng, “What is a Stellar Astrophysicist Thinking While Watching 'The Wandering Earth 2'”, Amateur Astronomer, Mar, 2023, 76-79
Sun, Meng; Huang, Chenliang, “Travelogue of Major Observatories in Southwest America (Part 5)”. Amateur Astronomer, Jan, 2015, 86-91
Sun, Meng; Huang, Chenliang, “Travelogue of Major Observatories in Southwest America (Part 4)”. Amateur Astronomer, Dec, 2014, 90-93
Sun, Meng; Huang, Chenliang, “Travelogue of Major Observatories in Southwest America (Part 3)”. Amateur Astronomer, Aug, 2014, 88-93
Sun, Meng, “Travelogue of Major Observatories in Southwest America (Part 2)”. Amateur Astronomer, May, 2014, 82-89
Sun, Meng, “Travelogue of Major Observatories in Southwest America (Part 1)”. Amateur Astronomer, Mar, 2014, 88-94
Sun, Meng, “A New Classification Method for SOHO Comets”, 2010, Natural Sciences and Museums. Vol. 5, 77-90
Sun, Meng, “A subclass of Kreutz sungrazers was discovered”, 2006, Amateur Astronomer Monthly Magazine Supplement, 18
Publications
Please find my publications here.