Samuel Darian McCarty
First year PhD student in Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
I am an astrophysicist broadly interested in extragalactic astronomy and cosmology (i.e. the big stuff). I've recently earned a B.S. magna cum laude with departmental honors in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Washington (Go Dawgs!), and will be starting a PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Fall 2025. During my undergrad, I worked on a variety of research projects including simulating gas physics of the intergalactic medium with Dr. Matthew McQuinn, using absorption spectra to study the circumgalactic medium with Dr. Jessica Werk, and developing a Support Vector Machine to classify observations of exoplanets with Dr. Victoria Meadows. In my senior thesis, I built a forward model to predict the number and type of gravitational lenses expected in next generation radio surveys such as by the Deep Synoptic Array 2000, supervised by Dr. Liam Connor. I plan to continue my work in the radio with Dr. Connor at the Center for Astrophysics next year. Aside from research, I have been involved in several outreach and mentoring activities and will continue to give back to my new community in Boston during grad school. My hobbies include hiking and being outside, going to the gym, playing pool, and spending time with my amazing partner Kate.
samuel.mccarty-at-cfa.harvard.edu
Office
1234 placeholder way
Cambridge, MA 02138
Research
My research interests are in a wide range of topics at the forefront of astronomy and I am still deciding on a specific direction for my PhD. Some big themes include the high redshift universe, diffuse gas in the CGM and IGM, and cosmology in a loose definition of the term. Recently, I have taken an interest in the methods of radio astronomy and the unique science that can be done at these longer wavelengths.
My research approach takes advantage of my diverse background, combining observational, computational, and theoretical methods. I have experience working with and taking data at multiple wavelengths and enjoy being connected with the universe through telescopes. On the other hand, I have a passion for computers and value a deep understanding of the physics behind the data, backed by my experience in computational methods and theoretical modeling.
Projects
Radio Strong Lensing
Strong gravitational lensing, aside from looking really cool, has important astrophysical applications. Strong lensing science at radio wavelengths has distinct advantages, but has been limited for decades by small sample size. We have forescasted the number of strong lenses expected to be discovered by the upcoming DSA-2000 and SKA-mid radio telescopes, finding that they will each discover as many as 105 new lenses. Currently, I am working on a proposal for VLA time to follow up promising lens candidates we have identified in the Very Large Array Sky Survey. These radio lenses will provide immediate science gains but also help pave the way for lensing science with the next generation of radio telescopes.
