Lauryn E. Williams

Stellar Engineering

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mapping 3D to 1D (In Progress!)

We will be mapping or 3D hydrostatic TŻO models into MESA to further investigate the physical parameters of our objects.

Binary Population Synthesis

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How often are TŻOs formed?

Understanding TŻO formation rates can provide important information on the current number of TŻOs within the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. Having that context is crucial if we want to search for more candidates. Accurate TŻO formation rates can also hint to the longevity of these objects.

New Website!

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I finally made a website! I’ll be on the job market soon, so I’m glad to finally be able to present my research and become more visible within the field.

All of my research is posted, including all of my first research experiences (summer REUs, undergraduate experiences, etc). The wording is all from posters/papers that I made at the time (since 2019!), so it’s pretty obvious that my “scientific prose” has developed over the years.

Hydrodynamical Simulations

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Simulating TŻO Formation

A TŻO can be created when a newly formed neutron star (NS) gets “kicked” into its companion star, which we call the “impact scenario”.

Using a moving mesh solver (MANGA) on top of the smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code, Charm N-body GrAvity solver (ChaNGa), we simulated 5 main sequences (MS) masses spanning 5 - 15 solar masses, with three different periastron distances ( $r_p$ ).

Stellar Companion Astrometry

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Identifying Dynamical Masses of Long Period Companions Using Orbit Fitting code with HGCA Astrometry

Background

The Hipparcos-Gaia Catalog of Accelerations contains a subset of stars that appeared to be accelerating during a cross calibration between the High Precision PARallax Collecting Satellite (HIPPARCOS) catalog and Gaia. ( Brandt 2021)

Solar Physics

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My first external research experience (circa Summer 2020)

Background

One of the primary open questions about the solar corona is why or how its structures remain so smooth and well-organized. They are rooted in the photosphere, where turbulent motions introduce twisting and other complexities. By observing the fast and coherent motions we can provide insight into the mechanisms that smooth out the corona, therefore high-speed, sensitive imaging is needed.

Galaxy Morphology

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My first research experience, circa 2019

Background

Understanding the formation and evolution of young galaxies in the early universe is a pivotal goal in cosmology. These galaxies reveal clues on how large galaxies, like our own Milky Way, were formed and evolved. In this project, we used data from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS)to study the physical properties of distant extremely young galaxies. CANDELS, one of the largest programs of the Hubble Space Telescope, imaged over 250,000 distant galaxies in multiple wavelengths in optical and near-infrared.

Some UW graduate programs suspend admissions, with funding in flux.

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I got the opportunity to discuss how everyone is impacted by funding uncertainties

Link to the full article

Contact

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

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