Chaima (Amanda) Medjaouri

Building foundational knowledge of laser physics and optics to prepare for future applications in observational and instrumental astrophysics.

• Gaining hands-on experience with basic laser operation, alignment, and safety protocols relevant to precision astronomical instrumentation.
• Studying laser–matter interactions and optical diagnostics as they relate to calibration, metrology, and detector characterization in observatory settings.
• Practicing data acquisition and analysis techniques used in laser-based measurements to develop transferable skills for astronomical observations.
• Developing familiarity with laboratory optical systems and experimental workflows that support next-generation observatory instrumentation and calibration methods.

Investigating the formation and evolution of protoplanetary disks to understand how early exoplanets emerge from dust and gas interactions.

• Investigating the formation and evolution of protoplanetary disks to understand how early exoplanets emerge from dust and gas interactions.
• Modeled disk dynamics and gas–dust coupling using numerical simulations to examine mechanisms of planetesimal formation.
• Analyzed radio interferometric data with CASA to derive disk density and temperature profiles for comparison with simulation results.
• Integrated synthetic emission maps with observational datasets to identify correlations between disk substructure and dust-to-gas ratios.
• Contributed to developing a simulation framework that improved accuracy in predicting dust ring morphologies observed in young stellar systems.

Exploring the structural and electronic behavior of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) under mechanical deformation to inform the design of flexible nanomaterials.

• Designed and calibrated experimental setups for nanoscale material fabrication and characterization.
• Applied electron microscopy and spectroscopy to correlate morphological deformation with shifts in electronic band properties.
• Identified deformation thresholds beyond which TMD layers exhibit significant electronic anisotropy.
• Investigated the potential of TMDs for flexible electronics, photodetectors, and hydrogen-generation devices, contributing to efforts to scale atomically thin materials for real-world applications.

• Created a welcoming space for students of all backgrounds interested in physics and astronomy.
• Managed the club's operations, communications, event planning, and strategic partnerships with the physics and astronomy department and external organizations.
• Organized and hosted major events, outreach programs, and workshops.
• Created weekly meetings where students get to discuss a topic of their choice in physics or astronomy.
• Actively supported broadening participation efforts within the physics community.