Dear Dr ——,
I am Moshikkeeran, a 4th year BSMS student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India. I am interested in working on Telescope observations of exoplanets and near-earth objects. I am requesting the possibility of working on such projects for my Master's thesis.
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I have gone through some of your research works. Especially your study on M dwarf star GJ 3512 from the paper 'A giant exoplanet orbiting a very-low-mass star challenges planet formation models' intrigued me to learn how disk mass affects accretion and migration rates of the planets & direct imaging technique, Microlensing detection and its limits.
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I am currently working on cosmological N-body simulations with Prof. X from IISER Pune. We study the formation and structure of dark matter halos and the co-evolution of galaxies within them. We aim to understand how well the analytic estimates of the connection between initial conditions (I.C.s) and final halos reproduce realistic halo properties. To achieve this, we employ simulation-based techniques guided by theory to interpret the observations of gravitationally bound objects, ranging from massive galaxy clusters to faint galaxies, to learn about the underlying nature of dark matter and gravity. I am mapping the relationship between initial conditions and statistics of initial density perturbations in the matter field and the final collapsed structures of dark matter halos. I learned to simulate using Pylians and Gadget2 and learned about the Millennium Simulations & the Quijote Simulations.
Furthermore, I am taking an extra course on Exoplanets conducted by Pune Knowledge Cluster, where scientists worldwide lecture on exoplanet detection methods, their characterization, demographics, atmosphere, habitability and the relevant instrumentation techniques.
I specialize in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. I have a background in cosmology, structure formation in the Universe, fundamental astrophysical phenomenons and General Relativity through credited coursework at IISER Pune. I am currently learning computational physics and astrophysical applications of fluid dynamics. Additionally, I have a functional knowledge of Python, Fortran and C++. I have supplemented my pursuit of these advanced courses with research experience that has helped me appreciate the research problems and the method of inquiry in Astrophysics.
I have attached my resume for your perusal. I would be grateful to know about the possibility of working on exoplanet research for my Master's thesis project, which is carried out for 9 to 10 months as per IISER norms.
I look forward to speaking to you and discussing my plans in detail.
Thank you,
Moshikkeeran S 4th year BSMS student Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune
Dear Dr ——,
I am Moshikkeeran (he/him), an MS student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India. I learned about your work on the website, which enticed my interest in Ultraviolet photochemistry and building the Starlab apparatus.
I am working on my Master's thesis on the topic "M dwarf Super Flares and the Habitability of Planets around them" under the guidance of Dr —— from Y University, Israel.
The purpose of this correspondence is to express my interest in pursuing a PhD or Research Assistant position in the Planetary Astrochemistry Lab.
I came across the work happening in your lab and was extremely keen to learn more about your current research to understand astronomical contexts for prebiotic chemistry. I have been following your profile for quite a while now and was captivated by your work, especially on building a modular light source using liquid and filters to mimic a star as it would be in the lower atmosphere of a particular planet of interest, which I feel has a close resemblance to my work on the habitability of the planets around our target star G227-22 as mentioned in the following paper.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ab5d3a#footnotes
I have a multidisciplinary background which can fit your project. Your work inspires me, and I hope to gain experience in this field under your guidance if given the opportunity. As part of my coursework, I have done numerous research projects at my home university with laboratory experience. My work involved various hands-on experiments, telescope observations, and literature reviews. I gained experience in Astrophysics, Cosmology, Computational Physics and General Relativity. Additionally, I have a functional knowledge of Python, Fortran and C++. I have supplemented my pursuit of these advanced courses with research experience that has helped me appreciate the research problems and the method of inquiry in Astrophysics.
My CV comprises the various skills I have acquired, and I am attaching it for your perusal. I look forward to speaking to you and discussing my plans in detail.
Thank you!
Kind regards,
Moshikkeeran S MS Student Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune
Introduction - ****very brief
Break the Ice - Go through their work and explain what made you apply to them
Explain your past and current projects even if its slightly related to the topic you want to work on for Master’s
Describe your experience relating to their research
End by inviting further discussion through a meeting.