What sparked my interest in astrophysics and the seeds of structure formation?

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In summary, my interest in astrophysics was sparked by the incredible complexity and vastness of the universe. I was fascinated by the mechanisms behind the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets. The study of structure formation, which explores how these celestial bodies come into existence and evolve over time, further deepened my curiosity for the subject. Through my research, I have discovered the fascinating connections between physics, mathematics, and astronomy, and the potential for unlocking the mysteries of our universe through studying its structure.
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EigenState137
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Greetings,

My apologies for not posting here sooner.

My research background has been in an esoteric branch of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy known as chemically induced dynamic polarization (CIDNP). Later I moved to high-resolution optical spectroscopy of selected diatomic molecules and atoms focusing on hyperfine structure interactions.

While at The University of Chicago, I had the good fortune to be exposed to a couple of astrophysicists, Chandrasekhar in particular. That spurred an interest in astrophysics which unfortunately lay dormant because of immediate professional responsibilities.

Later, with more time available, I became an early participant in the Galaxy Zoo project where I again had the good fortune to interact with a number of astronomers and cosmologists. While there, I was able to contribute to the analysis of an unusual visible spectrum of a DZ white dwarf.

It was there as well that my interest in the seeds of structure formation developed. It is that interest that brought me here. I will be posting questions as soon as time permits given my current involvement in several spectroscopy related threads.

I look forward to learning!ES
 
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Nice. :smile:
 
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EigenState137 said:
While at The University of Chicago, I had the good fortune to be exposed to a couple of astrophysicists, Chandrasekhar in particular.
Very cool, one of my favorite textbooks is one of his called "The mathematical theory of black holes". Was he easily approachable?
 
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romsofia said:
Very cool, one of my favorite textbooks is one of his called "The mathematical theory of black holes". Was he easily approachable?
Greetings,

I did not have the honor to meet Chandra personally--only to sit in of some of his lectures. However, by reputation he was the consummate gentleman and devoted to his students. I found Wigner, Abragam, and Zewail to be the same.

"Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar" by Kameshwar C Wali, University of Chicago Press (1984) is well worth the read. The anecdote about Yang and Lee is priceless.ES
 
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