Eritas Yang \u201924, a physics graduate of Harvey Mudd College who is now a first-year PhD student in astrophysics at Princeton University, has been awarded the American Physical Society\u2019s 2024 LeRoy Apker Award. This prestigious recognition for outstanding achievements in physics is the highest honor for undergraduate physicists in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yang was honored for her research on the long-term \u201csecular\u201d dynamics of planetary systems, specifically her work in developing a perturbative model for the orbital evolution of coplanar three-planet systems. Her research sheds new light on the mechanisms driving instabilities in planetary systems\u2014a critical step toward understanding the chaotic processes that shape the final orbits of planets. The citation on Yang\u2019s award reads: \u201cFor developing a perturbative model for the long-term secular dynamics of coplanar three-planet systems, elucidating the physics of such systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yang\u2019s research focuses on understanding the final, violent phase of planet formation, where collisions and gravitational scatterings play a major role. \u201cThis destabilization process is not completely understood, yet it is crucial in connecting planet formation models to current observations,\u201d said Yang. Working with Harvey Mudd physics professor Daniel Tamayo, Yang developed an analytical model for the long-term orbital dynamics of three-planet systems, which provides physical insight into the parameters that determine if a system becomes unstable. She also derived a mathematical expression for the boundary at which these systems transition from stable to unstable, validating her model against numerical simulations. This research was published in the Astrophysical Journal and presented at the American Astronomical Society\u2019s Division on Dynamical Astronomy conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tamayo, who advised Yang during her research, highlighted the significance of her work. \u201cAt the turn of the 19th century, Poincar\u00e9 made the surprising discovery that small gravitational tugs between planets in the same system could eventually drive them onto crossing orbits and cause collisions. Eritas\u2019s work extends this understanding by providing a mathematical model that helps disentangle competing mechanisms driving these instabilities,\u201d said Tamayo. \u201cIt is remarkable that an undergraduate new to the field could bring fresh insight into such an old problem. This is the kind of result that opens doors to many new research directions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yang’s accomplishments as an undergraduate also earned her the Harvey Mudd physics department\u2019s Thomas B. Brown Award for outstanding senior research, as well as the Mindlin Prize for the most innovative paper in the sciences. Her work has already spawned new research in Tamayo\u2019s group, and her analytical model is being applied to study orbital configurations in planetary systems both within and beyond our solar system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yang began her PhD studies in astrophysics at Princeton University this fall, where she continues her research on planetary dynamics. She joins fellow alumni Calvin Leung \u201917, Stephanie Moyerman \u201906, Nathaniel Stern \u201903 and Gwen (Bell) Porter \u201998 as a LeRoy Apker Award winner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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