Eric Britt

I have always loved solving problems and understanding the world around me. In pursuit of that desire, I am studying nuclear astrophysics. Currently, I am running fluid simulations of x-ray bursts on neutron stars. I have 3 years of research experience and 2 years of experience teaching astronomy. I know python and c++ and have used the High Performance Computing Center at MSU to run 2-D fluid models of X-ray bursts. I hope to use these skills and experiences to solve problems and understand the world in the future.

Employment History

Research Assistant, August 2020 - August 2023
Dr. Edward Brown, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mi
- Constructed 1-D models of carbon fusion on the surface of Neutron Stars in the open source
code MESA (Modules for Experimental Stellar Astrophysics)
- Interpolated those 1-D models into an open source 2-D fluid dynamics code, MAESTROeX and
Castro, and used the MSU High Performance Computing Center to run these simulations
- Presented results at conferences like the 2023 CeNAM Frontiers Meeting in Nuclear Astro-
physics, the 2023 Compact Objects in Michigan and Ontario, 2022 JINA-CEE Frontiers in Nuclear
Astrophysics, and other related meetings.
 

Teaching Assistant, August 2018-May 2020
(Liberal Studies Astronomy Lab in the spring semesters and Liberal Studies Physics Lab in the fall
semesters) , Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mi
- Taught approximately 90 students each semester, lecturing for 10 to 15 minutes explaining the
purpose and principals of the lab and then managed class as students worked on their labs
- Graded approximately 90 labs per week
- Answered student questions about grading, course work and material, and due dates
 

Undergraduate Researcher, May 2017-August 2017
National Magnetic Fields Laboratory under Dr. William Coniglio, Tallahassee, Fl
- Wrote scripts for short videos explaining physical concepts related to Condensed Matter Physics
and Fermi Surfaces targeted to the general public
- Made simulations illustrating different phenomena in Condensed Matter Physics such as the
Hall effect and Landau Levels using the Visual Python libraries
- Helped in the production of a movie explaining the concept of Fermi Surfaces
- Presented these products at an end of summer poster sessionEric Britt
 

Undergraduate Researcher, May 2016-August 2016
 National Magnetic Fields Laboratory under Dr. Ke Han, Tallahassee, Fl
- Modeled the thermodynamic properties of the iron carbon system under magnetic fields and plotted the Carbon content vs. Temperature phase diagram for various magnetic fields using the ThermoCalc software
- Graphed how the eutectic points of the phase diagrams change with increasing magnetic field
- Presented the results of this research during an end of summer poster session

Volunteer Work

CeNAM Nuclear Astrophysics Meeting Organizing Committee, September 2022-May 2023
- Helped organize and plan the May 2023 Frontiers in Nuclear Astrophysics Meeting
- Took photos of the meeting
- Made lunch and break food and drink menus within a budget of $12,000

Public outreach nights at the MSU observatory, 2021-2023
- Managed telescopes and guided people in stargazing
- Ran a presentation on spectroscopy

SL@MS summer camp, a grad student run summer camp at MSU, June 2019 - August 2019
- Planned and ran a course leading middle school students through activities that explain the
concepts of momentum and angular momentum
- Assisted with an hour long course on programming

Internship, Florida State University Department of Physics, December 2014 - December 2016 

- Read through approximately 200 papers from the D-zero and CDF collaborations searching for bias
- Wrote a program in ROOT (data analysis software offered by CERN) using C++ to analyze the data gleaned from these papers
- Presented the preliminary results from this research twice, at the 2015 FSU Undergraduate Research Symposium and the 2015 FSU Physics Department Undergraduate Research Symposium

M.S. Astrophysics, August 2023
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mi
GPA 3.691

B.S. Physics, Cum Laude, with Honors, May 2018
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fl
GPA 3.583