Graduating Student Spotlight: Suhani Surana
Suhani Surana graduates this spring with degrees in Astronomy, Physics and Computer Science
As Suhani Surana prepares to graduate with BS degrees in Astronomy, Physics and Computer Science, she reflects on highlights from her time at Steward Observatory, including probing spectroscopic binaries and presenting her research at the AAS conference. Read her full interview below.
What brought you to Steward Observatory?
I wanted to study some of the fundamental questions about the universe and Steward's excellent research facilities made my decision easier to come here!
Can you describe your research and any especially interesting learning experiences you’ve had during your time here?
One of my most fun research experiences was probing spectroscopic binaries and characterizing them. I worked on potential exoplanet candidates and found them to be binary stars. I used the Habitable-Zone Planet Finder spectrograph to monitor these binary stars with M dwarf components and measure the orbital and stellar parameters for three such systems and also used photometric models and detection limits of our spectroscopic measurements to probe characteristics of the companions. We found that from Gaia excess astrometric noise analysis, it suggests that for two of these stars, the secondary objects are substellar which forms very exciting follow up candidates in the future to further our understanding of the theoretical models for such low mass stars and substellar objects. We published these results in the Astronomical Journal and I gave a talk on this at AAS this winter!
What's your greatest point of pride from your time at Steward?
Managing three majors along with research that I love, this was a dream come true for me!
Can you share piece of wisdom from your time as an astronomy student?
Challenge yourself each day and work really hard towards your goals! Trust me, it is worth it :)
What’s next?
Starting my PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Arizona!
We’re excited to celebrate our students who graduated this semester. Stayed tuned for more Spotlight profiles on Steward Observatory graduates, and follow our social media channels for more insight into the lives of our students, staff and faculty.