Explosions Shed Light on his Research

Professor Alan Calder Photo by Alyssa Melillo

On a typical day at work, Professor Alan Calder sits in front of the computer in his office in the Earth and Space Sciences building at Stony Brook University and looks at multidimensional computerized models of type Ia supernovae, one class of bright stellar explosions. He  uses  computational astrophysics to simulate these explosions, but in simpler terms - he blows up stars.

Calder, 46, is an Associate Professor of  Physics & Astronomy at Stony Brook and is part of the university’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science. The institute appoints students, postdocs and faculty with different academic backgrounds to study computation techniques  and applications that will yield advances in the physical, life and social sciences. Calder uses computers to build the supernovae models often displayed on the monitor at his desk. He said it sometimes takes up to the equivalent computing power of 100,000 desktop computers  to simulate an explosion, and it is important to make it as accurate and realistic as possible. “What we try to do is capture the physics as best we can,” he said. “Plus I like to blow things up.”

Calder came to Stony Brook in 2007 from the University of Chicago, where he was a Research Scientist.  Since coming here he has been studying what exactly makes stars explode by looking at the physics of nuclear burning during the explosion. “The key is the nuclear reactions that power things,” he said. His research also delves into the realm of cosmology by analyzing effects on the brightness of Ia supernovae. The brightness of type Ia supernovae determines how far away they are from Earth, which ultimately, he said, gives scientists a greater understanding of how and when the expansion of the Universe began to accelerate.

As much as Calder enjoys astrophysics, he didn’t become interested in the subject until graduate school. A native of Georgia, he originally studied physics as an undergraduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in the subject from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. His master’s degree in computational condensed matter physics was earned from Clemson University in South Carolina, and his PhD in physics was awarded in 1997 by  Vanderbilt University. Calder’s study of astrophysics began with his dissertation, which addressed a different class of stellar explosions from his current research. After graduating, he landed a research appointment at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before going to the University of Chicago.

As for the thought of working in a field other than science, Calder said his choice to study all things matter, energy and light was a no-brainer. “It’s the only thing I can do,” he said. “It’s like a puzzle you’re putting together. It answers questions. It works for me.” He said that when the opportunity to become part of the university seven years ago came about, he couldn’t pass it up. “This is the best place to be for nuclear astrophysics. There’s not a better place in the world.”

But not all of Calder’s time is spent in front of a computer. In addition to teaching, he also has a long track record of public outreach. For the last six years he has been in charge of Stony Brook’s Astronomy Open Night, a monthly lecture paired with observation in the observatory on the roof of the Earth and Space Sciences building. Calder also gives lectures to organizations such as the Astronomical Society of Long Island and the Custer Institute. He feels it is his duty to take his teaching beyond the classroom. “Outreach is an important part of my mission as a scientist,” he said. “I like to explain to people what’s going on.”

When Calder isn’t blowing up stars or talking about astrophysics - which is a rare thing, he said - you’ll find him outside. He enjoys fishing, hiking, target shooting, running, and weight lifting.. Calder has completed several marathons and has participated in the Suffolk Half Marathon every year since he started teaching at Stony Brook. He lives in Port Jefferson with his wife Tracy. 

To learn more about the Institute for Advanced Computational Science and Professor Alan Calder’s research, visit http://iacs.stonybrook.edu/people/faculty/alan-c-calder.