Spring 2024 FGRU Recipients
Rob Garrod & M´elisse Bonfand-Caldeira (Astronomy & Chemistry)
This project seeks to unveil the mysteries of the recent detection of table salt in space. Salt molecules emit unique chemical signatures, acting as cosmic fingerprints which reveal crucial details on the interior of interstellar clouds, considered as stellar nurseries where stars are born. The undergraduate student will use cutting-edge numerical codes to explain the origins of salt in space, by studying the set of chemical reactions involved in salt production and by the same token, to unlock secrets about star formation.