I currently work primarily in X-ray astrophysics. I am also starting to learn more about physics-informed machine learning.

research activities:

astrophysics

I am interested in understanding the nature of multi-phase galactic outflows.

The CC85 model assumes energy and mass is injected from supernovae uniformly within a sphere. This drives a hot stable supersonic spherical galactic outflow. Throughout the years there have been many modifications by others. The observationally-motivated changes I have considered are:

  • allow additional mass injection & non-spherical expansion outside the sphere (mnras 2021)
  • assume energy and mass injection uniformly within a ring (apjL 2022)
  • assume non-uniform energy and mass injection in a sphere (mnrasL 2023)

machine learning

to better understand the interpretability of trained neural networks embedded in differential equations (neural partial differential equations) using the geophysical KdV equation as a case study (with Arvind Mohan)

applications of ML in dynamic astrophysical optimization problems

publications

You can find my publications listed here on arXiv or sao/nasa ads.

first author

  • Nguyen, D. D., Thompson, T. A., Schneider, E. E., Lopez, S., Lopez, L. A., Dynamics of hot galactic winds launched from spherically-stratified starburst cores, 2023, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters, 518, 1, arxiv:2210.07193, ads:2022MNRAS.tmpL.134N

  • Nguyen, D. D., Thompson, T. A., Galactic winds and bubbles from nuclear starburst rings, 2022, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 935, 2, arXiv:2205.13465, ads:2022ApJ…935L..24N

  • Nguyen, D. D., Thompson, T. A., Mass-Loading and Non-Spherical Divergence in Hot Galactic Winds: Implications for X-Ray Observations, 2021, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 508, 4, arXiv:2108.07343, ads:2021MNRAS.tmp.2635N

co-author

  • Lopez, S., Lopez, L. A., Nguyen, D. D., Thompson, T. A., Mathur, S., Bolatto, A. D., Vulic, N., Sardone, A., X-ray Properties of NGC 253’s Starburst-Driven Outflow, 2022, submitted (accepted ApJ), arxiv:2209.09260
  • Lopez, L. A., Mathur, S., Nguyen, D. D., Thompson, T. A., Olivier, G. M., Temperature and Metallicity Gradients in the Hot Outflows of M82, 2020, The Astrophysical Journal, 904, 2, arxiv:2006.08623, ads:2020ApJ…904..152L