Daniel Morales, 2018 NASA Goddard Space Center Intern

Biography

SPS Chapter: Texas Lutheran University

My name is Daniel Morales, I am from Austin, Texas but I go to a small Lutheran school in Seguin, Texas. I am majoring in Applied Physics and I plan on attending graduate school for a career (as of right now) in some sort of materials science, hopefully to work with renewable energies. I chose to do research at NASA in order to gain some exposure in the other fields of physics that I may not be able to get into after my undergraduate career. It has also been my dream to work at a place as prestigious as NASA, so I am beyond ready for the experience to work amongst these professionals and also my colleagues at the SPS internship.

Outside of studying physics, my hobbies and interests include teaching physics through tutoring sessions at my school, spending time with family and friends, and also spending time in the gym powerlifting. I also enjoy playing video games, mainly classics such as Super Smash Bros, Legend of Zelda, etc.

Internship

Host: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Project

Abstract

The current generation of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization experiments demand high-performance background-limited-sensors to achieve the desired levels of instrument sensitivity. One particularly promising approach, commonly known as MKIDs (Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors), is based on monitoring the response of a resonator in the presence of radiation with sufficient energy to influence the device’s superconducting properties. This architecture is amendable to realizing high focal plane density while maintaining readout with low parasitic thermal loads in a sub-kelvin cryogenic environment. Using a finite element analysis method solver, COMSOL Multiphysics®, electromagnetic simulations were conducted on representative sensor geometries.

Final Presentation

Internship Blog

Week 1: Welcome to D.C. and NASA

Disclaimer: I am not one to write a perfect blog post. In fact, this is my first time ever sitting down and reflecting on my activities (outside of a lab setting). Something I am more familiar with is telling stories to my friends and family in person, so hopefully this will come to feel more natural as the program progresses.

I began the journey to D.C. from my home state of Texas, where the weather was almost polar opposite: 95 degrees and no sign of rain versus D.C.'s regular rainy/cloudy days (no complaints here, though!). I happened to turn 21 the day of the move-in, so finally arriving to this city was probably the best gift I could have asked for. Things started a bit rough in D.C.; bags entirely soaked from the rain, traffic was unusually bad, my suitcase handle broke on the way up the 5 flights of stairs after the elevator broke down... BUT I was extremely glad to be settled in and have the chance to meet my rommates (who are incredible, by the way). I immediately remembered the hastiness and quickness of the life in D.C. from my last visit, and got right into the rhythm of things within the first day. I was nervous yet ready for my first day at the program.

Monday was a typical day: orientation, formal introductions, and learning the metro system that I would be using every day while here. Everyone I had met that day seemed to fit their internship role at SPS quite well and everyone seemed to get along within hours of knowing each other. I am honored to be working amongst 14 other individuals who share a similar passion for physics; whether it be physics outreach, policy, research, governance, etc.

As the week progressed, the other interns and myself bonded a bit more, I signed up for a gym membership at the local university, and I was introduced to my mentors at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Within the first couple of days, I have learned so much about a field that I never knew even existed: microwave engineering. This week I am learning about transmission line theory, superconductors, electromagnetic field simulating software, and other things for a specific detector I will be working on. I am placed in an astrophysics lab that studies the cosmic microwave background via superconducting light detectors. Currently the goal of the laboratory is to design and test detectors that can be used on one of the next big potential space exploration missions for NASA: the Origins Space Telescope (OST). This project aims to explain how the universe started by studying the polarimetry/anisotropies of the radiation emitted from the big bang, and I am glad to be apart of the mission!

Also, a worthy thing to mention is that D.C. is absolutely BUZZING right now due to the victory of the Washington Capitals over the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Stanley Cup. It is a great time to be in D.C. with everyone! I look forward to exploring the city this weekend with friends from Texas Lutheran University and fellow interns.

Final Thoughts

I am currently writing this from my grandparents’ house in Texas, so yee-haw, howdy, etc!

This summer spent at D.C. has been one to never forget. I met so many great people with similar interests to mine, not only the other SPS interns. Frequent trips to the gym left me with a few good friends I hope to keep in contact with in the future. The contacts I made at NASA will carry with me throughout my career in physics, and I hope to use the new connections for opportunities after my undergrad experience.

The dorms that the program housed us into were incredible as well. George Washington University was a great environment for someone like myself. Everyone was open to conversation, so I was able to meet new people almost every day. The dorms served as a place of relaxation for myself and the other interns, and when we were not busy working or going out to have fun we always enjoyed each other’s company. I will always remember the good times spent in room 502. If I wasn’t busy trying to level up on Rocket League, we were watching movies, YouTube videos, or playing games together. I think SPS did a great job of bringing together people who got along so well.

I leave the program with great experiences from what I learned at NASA, SPS events, and from the other people I met this summer. I want to thank SPS, NASA, and my mentors for an incredible summer. I look forward to my last year of college and I hope to make something of my life with what I’ve gained this year!