I am a finishing PhD candidate in astrophysics at Caltech where I am advised by Jim Fuller. My Bachelor's degree is in physics and astronomy from Cornell University. I am currently researching various phenomena related to binary stars, including mass transfer, tidal dynamics, common envelope evolution, and white dwarf transients,
for which I combine theoretical and computational approaches.
I build and run numerical simulations using hydrodynamic codes (PLUTO, Athena++) and stellar evolution codes (MESA), and apply Bayesian inference and machine learning methods to extract physical parameters from observational data. I'm broadly interested in problems that sit at the intersection of physical modeling, statistical inference, and high-performance computation.
Contact: pscherba@caltech.edu
link to Github Code
link to a KITP Conference Presentation on WD binaries
41st Liège International Astrophysical Colloquium