What do you do here at Wright Lab?
I work with Prof. Laura Newburgh on the Simons Observatory (SO), a next-generation experiment that uses the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), relic radiation from the Big Bang, to measure the initial conditions and evolution of our universe.
Instrument-wise, SO is a set of 4 telescopes with 60,000 detectors; it’s set to deploy in the Atacama Desert in Chile beginning in 2021(!!). The SO group here at Wright Lab is the data acquisition and instrument control “hub” for the experiment. This means that I’ll be writing software for critical calibration instruments, and ensuring functionality of those instruments during deployment in Chile.
I spent my gap year here as a postgraduate associate working on SO, where I constructed over 200 temperature sensors to map temperature fluctuations on SO’s detectors. I learned a lot about the monitoring and software system for the experiment during my gap year, so it’s really cool to be able to see a natural trajectory from my gap year project into my graduate work.
What is the most unique and/or exciting experience you’ve had here at Wright Lab?
I’d probably say my gap year in its entirety was a unique experience. The temperature sensor-making process all happened here and it had several moving parts. I’d never been in charge of a project like that before. Taking ownership of a multi-component project and learning what system works best for me, and then tweaking that system throughout the year was definitely a valuable experience. Especially when I had weird epoxy issues and Frank [Lopez] came in and had ideas on how to save my stycast.
What is something that people might not know about you that you’d like to share with the community?
If I hadn’t done a gap year at Yale, I would’ve moved to Khorugh, Tajikistan for that time, teaching at the University of Central Asia. UCA students are super special — they’re brilliant, and the mountain communities are rich in culture and people. From them, I’ve learned so much about my own heritage, but hearing their stories has also been a humbling experience. A personal goal of mine is to learn to speak and write in Tajik, but I’d prefer to do it by immersing myself in the culture. I currently work with UCA on curriculum development, with a specific goal of making fun physics-related projects. When the world is a bit less on fire, I think I’ll make plans to visit Khorugh!
Where do you like to work remotely?
I work on this one granite counter in my studio apartment that’s multipurpose. It serves as my desk, my meal-prep station, a DJ station, a “Sanah’s got a bunch of boxes from deliveries” station. Safe to say, I’m constantly cleaning this counter throughout the day to repurpose it.
