L. C. Strang

Astrophysicist

Gravitational-wave data analysis, GRBs and supernova remnants.

EDUCATION

PhD in astrophysics at the University of Melbourne (2017 -)

  • Published four papers (excluding papers authored solely through collaboration membership) with one additional paper in prep.
  • Led international team within LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration searching for continuous gravitational waves
  • Developed a new, analytic model for X-ray plateaux following short Gamma-Ray Bursts (sGRBs)
  • Inferred central engine parameters using custom model for sGRB afterglows
  • Contributed to two short-author analyses using public LIGO data searching for continuous gravitational waves

MSc in particle physics at the University of Melbourne (2014 - 2015)

  • Received ND Goldsworth Scholarship for Academic Excellence *Member of the ATLAS collaboration associated with CERN’s Large Hadron Collider *Simulated detailed fake data based on the Standard Model and seesaw model extensions *Conducted mock search on fake data and set preliminary limits

BSc in physics at the University of Melbourne (2010 - 2013)

RECENT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Teaching has been a long-term interest of mine. A good teacher can mean the difference between a lifelong passion for or enduring hatred of a subject. In my six years of teaching experience, I have learnt to balance the needs of students with diverse needs and to adapt my classes to suit the target audience.

Tutor for PHYC20015 at the University of Melbourne (2018 - )

  • Sole tutor for second-year special relativity (~ 100 students)
  • Maintained > 80% tutorial attendance throughout semester (average attendance across physics < 50%)
  • Marked exams and assignments
  • Provided out-of-class support to students
  • Managed transition to remote learning in 2020 and overhauled in 2021 to maximize student engagement

Work Experience Coordinator at the University of Melbourne (2019)

  • Developed and coordinated week-long intensive course for 20 highschool students
  • Introduced new programme allowing students to use remote telescopes
  • Organized team of volunteers to deliver content and meet legal obligations

Tutor for PHYC10003, PHYC10005 & PHYC10006 at the University of Melbourne (2017 - 2020)

  • Ran interactive tutorials with 15 – 40 first-year students
  • Identified gaps in study pathway for students with no prior physics experience
  • Doubled number of students progressing from entry level physics to standard stream

Consultant at Protiviti (2016 - 2017)

  • Collaborated with clients across public and private industries
  • Primary technical lead on IT projects including database management, IT security audit, and fraud identification
  • Delivered workshops to increase the technical ability of the Protiviti team
  • Assisted on project health assessments for major Australian businesses and public departments

INVITED TALKS

  • “A model for X-ray plateaux following short Gamma-Ray Bursts”, Einstein Seminar, University of Tübingen, 2021 (virtual)
  • “A model for X-ray plateaux following short Gamma-Ray Bursts”, OzGrav Data/Astro videocon, 2021 (virtual)
  • “Searches for continuous gravitational waves from young supernova remnants with advanced LIGO and Virgo “, full LVK presentation 2020 (virtual)

CONTRIBUTED TALKS

  • “Searches for continuous gravitational waves from young supernova remnants with advanced LIGO and Virgo”, Australasian Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (ASGRG) 2021/2022, awarded Kerr Prize for best student talk
  • “Searches for continuous gravitational waves from young supernova remnants with advanced LIGO and Virgo”, Lancaster University Astrophysics Webinar, 2021 (virtual)
  • “A model for X-ray plateaux following short Gamma-Ray Bursts”, Marcel Grossman 2021 (virtual)
  • “Searches for continuous gravitational waves from young supernova remnants with advanced LIGO and Virgo”, Marcel Grossman 2021 (virtual)
  • “Searches for continuous gravitational waves from young supernova remnants with advanced LIGO and Virgo”, Amaldi 2021
  • “A model for X-ray plateaux following short Gamma-Ray Bursts”, COSPAR 2021 (virtual)
  • “A model for X-ray plateaux following short Gamma-Ray Bursts”, Australian Institute of Physics Summer Meeting 2019 (in person); awarded “Best Student Talk”
  • “Searches for continuous gravitational waves from young supernova remnants with advanced LIGO and Virgo ”, LVK face-to-face 2020 (virtual)
  • “X-ray plateaux in short Gamma Ray Bursts”, Geoff Opat Seminar Sessions, University of Melbourne, 2019 (in person); awarded annual “Best GOSS Seminar”

LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY

I believe our community is at its best when it is inclusive and diverse. The most effective way I can give back to the physics community is to support physicists who face different challenges and use my outreach skills to promote the field to the public.

OzGrav Equity & Diversity Committee (2017 - PRESENT)

  • Developed and presented hands-on microaggressions workshop at the 2019 OzGrav retreat for ~250 academics and students
  • Recommended the OzGrav headquarters should have an Acknowledgement of Country, leading to the committee commissioning a local artist to design an appropriate mural
  • Advised on maximizing the accessibility of remote and in-person conferences prior to hosting the 2021 Amaldi conference

Organizing the “Women in Physics & Maths” Retreat (2015 - PRESENT)

  • Co-coordinated the annual retreat for women and diverse genders in physics and maths
  • Developed and delivered workshop on dealing with workplace aggression
  • Panel member for discussion on industry employment

Outreach

Technical skills

Proficient: python, LaTeX, bash, slurm, HTCondor, Microsoft Excel, Linux, Mac OSX, git

Familiar with: C, C++, Mathematica, Matlab, HTML, Jekyll, lisp, Microsoft Office Suite, Libre Office Suite, Google office suite

PUBLICATIONS

The following publications are publications in which I have made an active and appreciable contribution. For a full list of all my papers, including papers from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, visit my ORCID. A more detailed overview of my papers can be found here.

Abbott et al (2021), Searches for continuous gravitational waves from 15 young supernova remnants in the first half of the third observing run of advanced LIGO and Virgo, ApJ, 912 80, arxiv.org/abs/2105.11641

  • Project manager for full collaboration paper
  • Managed a team of analysts and writers
  • Lead analyst for one of the three pipelines presented
  • Identified and corrected gaps in the standard process for setting upper limits

Strang & Melatos (2021) Applying models of pulsar wind nebulae to explain X-ray plateaux following short gamma-ray bursts, Marcel Grossman Proceedings, accepted, arxiv.org/abs/2111.12844

  • Summary and context for previous work on “plerion” models for X-ray plateaux following short gamma-ray bursts

L. C. Strang, A. Melatos, N. Sarin, P. D. Lasky (2021), Inferring properties of neutron stars born in short gamma-ray bursts with a plerion-like X-ray plateau, MNRAS, Volume 507, Issue 2, October 2021, Pages 2843–2855, arxiv.org/abs/2107.13787

  • Developed python implementation of new model for the X-ray afterglows that follow some sGRBs
  • Performed and optimized parameter estimation process, including prior selection, validation, and result analysis
  • Explored three different variations of the underlying model presented in Strang & Melatos (2020)

Millhouse, Strang & Melatos (2020), Search for gravitational waves from twelve young supernova remnants with a hidden Markov model in Advanced LIGO’s second observing run, Phys. Rev. D 102, 083025 arxiv.org/abs/2003.08588

  • Co-organized and ran the analysis, including running the initial search
  • Assisted with remaining analysis (i.e. follow-up and vetoes)

L. C. Strang & A. Melatos (2019), Plerion model of the X-ray plateau in short gamma-ray bursts, MNRAS Volume 487, Issue 4, August 2019, Pages 5010–5018, arxiv.org/abs/1906.02877

  • Levereged existing models of young supernova remnants to explore the aftermath of short gamma-ray bursts
  • Constructed and analytically solved partial differential equations governing the evolution of a nebula surrounding a magnetar
  • Produced all light curves and data tables

COLLABORATION PUBLICATIONS

As a member of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, I am listed as an author on collaboration papers. For a full list of all my papers, including papers from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, visit my ORCID.