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Research Papers & Courses

shape
shape
shape

Research paper on the appearance of a superheavy nucleus: Investigating shape-dependent nuclear stability

  • In a 22 page research paper under the mentorship of Arthur Campello (PhD Stanford), I compared the stability of various shapes of the nucleus, in particular, spherical and toroidal shapes, for atomic numbers from 300-500, aiming to understand which shape would be the most stable.
  • I used Python to randomly generate positions of nucleons and calculate the resultant stability, taking into account the various forces which come into play, including strong nuclear and weak interaction forces.
  • I calculated their stability metric and determined that toroidal nuclei were more stable than spherical nuclei.
  • Through this, I was exposed to the world of nuclear science and deepened my understanding of the fundamentals underlying the stability of elements, determining their uses in various fields.

Conducted an Extended Essay on Chemistry

  • My research question is: “How does the rate of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue measured in abs min-1, in the presence of Cu-doped TiO2 nanoparticles depend on the amount of the Cu dopant measured through UV-Vis Spectrophotometry?”
  • It focuses on doping semiconductors to mitigate water pollution in visible light, thus having potential applications in my hometown Mumbai.
  • I aim to optimize this catalyst which has required me to read extensively around this area and teach myself various mechanisms of doping and photocatalysis involved in this process.
  • To uphold environmental integrity, after tirelessly searching, I discovered a student feasible low-temperature method.
  • This research paper (4,000 words) has highlighted the complexity and precision required in experimental chemistry and equipped me with problem solving skills to approach data collection.

Research Paper on Transition Metal Chemistry

Conducting research on the impact of geometric shapes of transition metal complexes for selective pollutant extraction under the mentorship of Dr Sally Boss, Cambridge University.

Student, Brown Pre-College Summer Program on Quantum Mechanics: The intersection of Physics and Philosophy

This program explored the intersection of quantum mechanics and philosophy focusing on the physical and metaphysical implications of quantum mechanics and the real world meaning to such concepts that are normally expressed mathematically. I conducted a project on the existence of free will from the perpective of physicists and philosophers. 

”Zara was easily one of the most engaged and hard-working students in the class. She came to class eager to learn and actively participated perhaps more than any other student. Zara showed much effort in fully understanding all the topics and frequently asked valuable questions to do so, helping not only herself but also her classmates to learn more effectively. Zara was a very rare example of a student who excelled in both group and individual settings. It was my great pleasure to teach Zara and I thank her for her active engagement in class, which has helped me to teach and connect with the students more effectively. I have no doubt Zara will excel in whatever she does in the future thanks to her passionately inquisitive and friendly attitude.”

Completed an Introduction to Mathematical Thinking by Stanford University. Completed a Basic and Intermediate Python course.