Kristopher Mortensen

Undergraduate Student
Northwestern University Department of Physics and Astronomy

Welcome
Neutron star merger animation ending with kilonova explosion.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

This website gives a general overview of the research I have done over the nine weeks I was with the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and their REU program. Working with Dr. Adam Miller and Professor Rafaella Margutti, I have spent the summer of 2017 optimizing the cadence of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) to have the highest chances of discovery astrophysical phenomena known as a kilonova, which come from sources of gravitational waves. My goal was to work with both members of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and LSST to come up with the best plan of action, called the "Target of Opportunity" strategy, to discovery kilonovae in areas where potential gavitational wave sources are located. Feel free to take a look at my whole webpage, and if you see something interesting that you wish to know more about, contact me via phone or email, which can be found on my About Me page.