Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Solar REU Program

Student: Mita Tembe, Astronomy-Physics major (2015)

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Website: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/opportunities/solar_reu/index.html 

Stipend/compensation: $5000 stipend for the summer + $500 for food

Number of students: 8 students in the Solar program

Housing: Housing is provided in Harvard graduate student dorms, a 15 minute walk from the CfA. Each intern has a single room, with a bed, desk, bookcase, and closet. A communal kitchen is available for about 20 students (CfA Astronomy REU students are housed on the same floor), which can get very crowded at times. There is a common room with couches, a table and chairs, and a TV (I’m not sure if it worked).

Application Requirements: Application (general information), two recommendations, a one paragraph essay, unofficial transcript

Application Deadline: mid-February

Projects: In this program, all of the projects were based on data analysis. My project focused on analyzing blobs of plasma flowing along magnetic field lines in the sun, to eventually determine if this has any bearing on the temperature of the corona. Other projects examined the 11-year solar cycle, the solar wind, spectroscopic observations of the sun, and coronal jets, among others. Past final presentations can be viewed here: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/opportunities/solar_reu/Presentations.html. In general, each student had two mentors, with perhaps one exception. My mentors were the heads of the program, Kathy Reeves and Trae Winter. From my viewpoint, all the mentors were extremely supportive and helpful throughout the summer.

Social Events: The CfA held a few events to which the interns were invited, for example, the annual summer barbeque. Usually, however, the interns organized their own excursions. We went to see an Italian opera version of Cinderella, went canoeing on the Fourth of July and watched the fireworks over the Charles River, visited several art and science museums (admission is usually free with the Harvard-Smithsonian ID), visited Walden Pond, saw a Shakespearean play in Boston Common, went to a baseball game at Fenway Park, and generally had a great time exploring Cambridge and Boston.

General Impressions: Overall, I thought this was a great program, and a wonderful introduction to the NSF REU program. I enjoyed working with my fellow interns, a few of whom I still speak with regularly today (this past summer, I was able to visit my friend Anna in Dublin, who I first met at the Solar REU program). The scientists at the CfA are a lot of fun; for example, a few of the other interns went rockclimbing with them a couple times. Boston and Cambridge are interesting and lively cities; there is no lack of things to do. I highly recommend applying to this program if you get a chance!

Disclaimer: This information is based on the summer of 2013 and may not reflect the current setup of the program.

The Harvard campus, this is the green area next to the famous Harvard Yard

Computer screens in Mission Ops, this is very impressive in person

The eight solar interns and the high school intern, on the day of final presentations