Sean Gopalakrishnan receives top honor for plasma research
Sean Gopalakrishnan
Sean Gopalakrishnan, a senior physics and astrophysics student, has been recognized for his outstanding research with a Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award. The award is one of the top honors for graduating students in the Department of Physics.
The award was established in 2013 by alumnus Dr. Stephen White (Phys’63) to recognize exceptional undergraduate research projects. During his undergraduate studies at CU Boulder, Dr. White’s research experiences made an impact on his future career and led him to create the award.
Studying lava tubes on the moon
Gopalakrishnan said “physics has always been a fascination of mine, ever since I learned that we can predict the motion of the planets."
Pursuing his interests, Gopalakrishnan enrolled at CU Boulder and double majored in physics and astrophysics. He joined the Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust (IMPACT) at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) in 2023. Dr. Xu Wang, research scientist at LASP, served as Gopalakrishnan’s research advisor.
Wang said, “Sean’s work addresses the charging and subsequently the possible dust environment inside lava tubes on the moon’s surface.” Lava tubes are tunnel-like passages that are created as basaltic lava channels under the surface.
“These structures have long been thought to be natural habitats for future lunar exploration. But recent numerical simulations predicted a hazardous plasma environment inside,” Gopalakrishnan explained.
He investigated the interaction between lunar lava tubes and the solar wind. The results showed that the charging environment isn’t as hazardous as the simulation suggested, making the structures more viable for lunar habitation.
“This work is timely and important for NASA’s Artemis mission,” said Wang. The series of missions are designed to send humans to the moon and eventually establish a long-term presence.
Research project earns top honors
Gopalakrishnan’s outstanding research project received a summa cum laude designation from the College of Arts & Sciences Honors Program. The Physics Honors Council Representatives selected him to receive one of two Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Awards awarded this semester.
Tobin Munsat, professor and chair of physics, served as the Physics Honors Council Representative for Gopalakrishnan. Munsat said “Sean turned his work into a top-quality honors thesis, which really showed his independence on the project and his expertise in the subject matter.” He added, “I’ve also seen him present his work at a scientific conference, and it makes me proud that he’s representing our department.”
To Gopalakrishnan, the award is an incredible honor. “It's truly a gift to see my research and hard work pay off,” he said.
What’s next?
After graduating this spring, Gopalakrishnan will stay in Boulder to pursue a PhD in physics at CU Boulder. He plans to continue his research with the IMPACT group.
“I'm grateful for this opportunity, and excited for future research to come,” said Gopalakrishnan.