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Fox Friday: Madeleine Wills Looks to the Stars

Maddy and another scientist look at a screen where her research is presented
Updated

Fox Friday is a series that highlights the accomplishments of students districtwide. We regularly feature the incredible things our students are up to — whether they are excelling academically, athletically or are quietly impressive.

Maddy Wills smiles outside

Fox Lane senior Madeleine (Maddy) Wills, a student in the Science Research program, was among astronomers, undergraduate students, educators and journalists who attended the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in National Harbor, Maryland earlier this month.

Along with her mentor, Dr. Rodolfo Montez Jr., (an astrophysicist at Harvard), Maddy presented their project entitled “The analyzation of two long eclipsing binary star systems to determine if they will interact.”

Can you explain your project?

I analyzed two long eclipsing binary star systems, which are systems where two stars are orbitally bound to each other and are “long” in the sense that the stars are far apart. I was able to determine when the stars in each system will interact or have interacted in a way where the stars’ material are transferred to one another.

What led you to study this topic?

I have always been interested in astronomy and thought that it would be interesting to study stars’ evolution and interactions. This project is also built off of my topic last year, so I felt the need to further explore these systems.

How did you find your mentor? What has that experience been like?

As a part of the Science Research program, you have to reach out to a scientist who you would like to work with. I found my mentor by scrolling through the astrophysicists at Harvard and finding one whose studies I found interesting. Thankfully, he said he would love to work with me, and we have been working together for two years now. My mentor has always been so supportive and patient, and it has been an honor to work with him!

What did the research process look like for this project?

To put it simply: we gathered and graphed data in order to determine the characteristics of each system. With those characteristics, we determined the evolution of the stars in order to establish if they are currently interacting, have in the past, or will in the future. 

Were you surprised by any of your findings?

Yes! We actually found a system that has two stars with a very large age gap.

How could your research benefit society in the long term?

These longer binary systems are not as commonly studied, so this research gives us a deeper understanding of long eclipsing binary systems and their interactions.

What was it like to present at the American Astronomical Society Annual Conference? 

I was very nervous at first and felt like I didn't fit in with all the undergrad students and astronomers. But when I finally presented, everyone was very kind, and I instantly became comfortable. It was a great experience because I was also able to walk around and see other intriguing projects and talk to people who had similar studies. 
 

Do you have any advice for students considering the Science Research program?

Yes! Join it! This is such a fantastic program. You are able to gain research skills and explore your interests while making amazing connections for the future. Once you are in the program, don't feel afraid to ask your peers and teachers questions. Everyone is going through a similar process as you and they are always willing to lend a helping hand.

Maddy and another scientist look at a screen where her research is presented

 

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