About Me
About Me:
Greetings and well wishes to all who may encounter this message!
My name is Max Fine. I'm a graduate student studying Physics & Astrophysics (📡💫)
at the University of Amsterdam. I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto (with Honors)
in Canada! I am originally from St. Augustine, Florida. I'm passionate about exploring the unknown, improving our
understanding of the cosmos, and adding to the collective knowledge of humankind. I believe that science has the
power to change the world and I'm eager to contribute to that change in any way I can.
I have a keen interest in radio astronomy and multimessenger astronomy. I am interested in scientific
data processing with a potential inclination toward instrumentation.
My background includes experience in algorithm development for radio astronomy, error testing a data
analysis pipeline, and dedicated research in Fast Radio Burst (FRB) and multimessenger astronomy.
Furthermore, I am interested in the application of machine learning in astrophysics. Additionally, my
curiosity extends to exoplanets and astrobiology. I care deeply about science
advocacy and believe that it’s essential to share the wonder and importance of science with the broader
community.
I am highly skilled in Linux and Git,
and I am fluent in Python programming, specializing in packages such as Numpy,
Scipy, Matplotlib, Pytorch, Pandas, RM-TOOLS,
and Astropy. I am skilled in data analysis, Bayesian analysis, time-series analysis, algorithm development,
and scientific computing. I have contributed significantly to the open-source scientific Python package
RM-TOOLS, resulting in a published scientific paper in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomy Society.
I am additionally experienced in:
C++, SQL, AWS, Kubernetes, Docker,
Cloud & Cluster Computing, and Big Data (>300 GB files).
While I currently live in the Netherlands, I hold dual citizenship in the USA and Canada,
which enables me to work & live in both countries. As a UofT graduate, I additionally qualify
for the High Potential Individual visa (UK work visa).
When I'm not studying the stars, you can often find me exploring cafes and searching for the perfect latte. If it is not raining, playing frisbee in a park.
I enjoy reading and tickering with Raspberry Pis.
My dream is to live the adventurous life of a scientific researcher.
I would like to earn a PhD related to astrophysics and serve in the Peace Corps teaching high school math and science for two years abroad.
Education:
University of Amsterdam| Masters of Physics & Astrophysics (Currently Attending!)
University of Toronto| HBSc Specialist In Physics & Astrophysics 2023
Publications:
Maxwell A. Fine , Cameron L. Van Eck, & Luke Pratley “Correcting Bandwidth Depolarization by Extreme Faraday Rotation”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
2023.
Awards:
• UofT John Pounder 3rd year Prize In Astronomy
• Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics: Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)
• UofT DPES Student Excellence and Leadership Award
• UofT John Pounder 2nd year Prize In Astronomy
• Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholarship (BFAS)
• Eagle Scout
• Time Person of Year (2006)
Research
Astronomy is looking up!
I have a keen interest in radio astronomy and multimessenger astronomy. I am interested in scientific
data processing with a potential inclination toward instrumentation.
My background includes experience in algorithm development for radio astronomy, error testing a data
analysis pipeline, and dedicated research in Fast Radio Burst (FRB) and multimessenger astronomy.
Furthermore, I am interested in the application of machine learning in astrophysics. Additionally, my
curiosity extends to exoplanets and astrobiology. I care deeply about science
advocacy and believe that it’s essential to share the wonder and importance of science with the broader
community.
My undergraduate research focused mostly radio astronomy,
with research on Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), multi-messenger astronomy
and radio polarization surveys.
Publications:
Maxwell A. Fine , Cameron L. Van Eck, & Luke Pratley “Correcting Bandwidth Depolarization by Extreme Faraday Rotation”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
2023.
Hunting for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)
with SWIFT/bat
Advisors:
Dr. Ziggy Plenuis & Dr. Paul Scholz, and Prof. Bryan Gaensler
This research project is inactive. I started this as a summer research project over the summer of 2022, and then continued this as my AST425 project (Year long Thesis Course) at UofT. Image Credit NASA.
Project Abstract:
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are brief radio pulses with unknown extragalactic origins. So far FRBs
have only been detected at radio frequencies. Several FRB progenitor models propose that these bursts
originate from magnetars, and predict associated γ-ray emission. Previous γ-ray searches have only
examined two repeating FRB sources. This study used data from the Swift/BAT telescope which
was obtained with GUANO to analyze 380 CHIME/FRB targets. I made an analysis pipeline that
estimates the peak Signal-To-Noise Ratio (S/N) for each target, and determines fluence limits. I used
seven energy bands ranging from 10-350 keV for S/N and 10-150 keV for fluence, 13 timescales from
0.01 to 6 seconds and 6 spectrum models. I used a search window of 6 s around the FRB observation in
radio wavelengths. S/N estimates were determined for 244 sources analyzed, no FRBs were detected.
Fluence limits were determined for 49 FRBs at a level of ∼ 10−7
ergs cm−2
in the 10-150 keV band (95%
confidence). It is possible that nearby FRBs could be detected by Swift/BAT, and future research
will focus on addressing issues that led to failures in the analysis of targets and analyzing a larger
CHIME/FRB catalog.
AST425 Midway Presentation
AST425 Final Presentation
AST425 Final Thesis
Hunting for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) with the 25-m Dwingeloo radio telescope
Advisors:
Dr.Tammo Jan Dijkema (ASTRON) and co-supervisor Proffesor Jason Hessels (ASTRON)
In summer 2024, I will be a researcher at The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) with their
Summer Research Programme.
For my project, I will be using and operating the 25-m Dwingeloo radio telescope. I will study bright repeating Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) to understand the potential connections between repeating and apparently non-repeating FRBs. As
FRBs are hard to catch, I will also observe pulsars to both test the methodology and learn the relevant techniques.
Image Credit: Daniëlle Futselaar/artsource.nl
Gravitational Waves from Magnetar Giant Flares
Advisors:
Dr. Sarah Gossan & Prof. Bryan Gaensler
This research project is inactive / over. This was my project for PHYD01 (Semester Long Thesis Course) at UofT. Image Credit NASA.
Project Abstract: The goals of this study were to improve our understanding of gravitational waves from magnetar giant flares, and to determine if third generation gravitational wave detectors will be able to detect magnetar giant flares. In order to test this, I implemented simplistic emission waveforms, using parameters based on the known magnetar giant flares. I then used these waveforms to estimate the signal-to-noise ratio for third generation detectors. My resulting highest signal-to-noise was $\sim 10^{-3}$ which is four orders of magnitude smaller then my detection threshold of 8, indicating that third generation detectors will be unable to detect magnetar giant flares.
Final Presentation
Developing Robust Error Analysis for Radio Polarization Surveys
Advisors:
Dr. Cameron L. Van Eck
This research project is inactive. I started this as a summer research project over the summer of 2021 at UofT. Image Credit ASKAP. I think this might result in a co-author paper for the error pipeline.
Project Description:
The "Polarization Sky Survey of the Universe's
Magnetism" (POSSUM) is one of the eight major
surveys to be conducted by the Australian Square
Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). POSSUM will
make a catalogue of Faraday rotation measures (RMs)
for around a million extragalactic radio sources – that's
an increase of 20x the current known Faraday rotation
measures (RMs). The goal of this project was to
develop a robust error analysis of the POSSUM data as
a part of the POSSUM data pipeline.
The key result from this project was the discovery that
the output error bars from the pipeline are slightly
too small. If the error bars were the correct size, then
in the histogram below would match the Gaussian
distribution exactly. However, the normalized residual
is too wide for the Gaussian - this means the error
bars are too small. Having too small error bars for the
pipeline is a concern as future research will depend
on the accuracy of the errors.
POSSUM Presentation
Hunting for Radio Sources in Extreme Magnetized Environments
Advisor: Dr. Cameron L. Van Eck
This project is inactive. I started this as a summer research project in 2020 at UofT, and continued it for another year or so.
Maxwell A. Fine , Cameron L. Van Eck, & Luke Pratley “Correcting Bandwidth Depolarization by Extreme Faraday Rotation”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
2022, submitted.
Project Abstract: Measurements of the polarization of radio emission are subject to a number of depolarization effects such as bandwidth
depolarization, which is caused by the averaging effect of a finite channel bandwidth combined with the frequency-dependent
polarization caused by Faraday rotation. There have been very few mathematical treatments of bandwidth depolarization,
especially in the context of the rotation measure (RM) synthesis method for analyzing radio polarization data. We have found a
simple equation for predicting if bandwidth depolarization is significant for a given observational configuration. We have derived
and tested three methods of modifying RM synthesis to correct for bandwidth depolarization. From these tests we have developed
a new algorithm that can detect bandwidth-depolarized signals with higher signal-to-noise than conventional RM synthesis and
recover the correct source polarization properties (RM and polarized intensity). We have verified that this algorithm works as
expected with real data from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey. To make this algorithm available to the community, we have
added it as a new tool in the RM-Tools polarization analysis package.
End of SURP Poster
Outreach
I was one of the founding executives of the
UofT Amateur Astronomers Society, where I helped organized star parties, field trips for meteor showers, and astronomy trivia nights. I
was further involved with outreach as a volunteer with the monthly Astronomy UofT outreach events.
Additionally, I was the physics director of my undergraduate student union, where I was both a volunteer
at, and in charge of the physics tutoring center which offers free tutoring for first and second year physics
classes.
• UTAAS website
• SCSU website
• EPSA website
I helped create one of the Jupyter-notebooks for a astronomy workshop for highschool students in Toronto.
I helped make the notebook on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).
See the Age-of-The-Universe workshop organized by Simran Nerval.
Teaching
I have had the honor of being a TA, for several undergraduate physics classes at UofT.
I have additionally been a Faciliated Study Group (FSG), and volunteer tutor at UofT.
Teachers Assistant (TA):
UofT PHYA10| Introduction to Physics for the Physical Sciences I | Fall 2021
• Ran weekly two hour long practical sessions for ∼ 10-15 students
• marked assignments & exams
UofT PHYA11| Introduction to Physics for the Life Sciences I | Fall 2020
• Ran weekly two hour long practical sessions for ∼ 10-15 students
• marked assignments & exams
UofT PHYA22| Introduction to Physics for the Life Sciences II | Winter 2021
• Ran weekly two hour long practical sessions for ∼ 10-15 students
• marked assignments & exams
Other Interests
Despite what some may say, I have a life outside of astronomy. My hobbies include reading, gardening,
getting lost in the city or park, visiting muesems. I like to think I can bake (bread), and paint - I've been told its worse then my karaoke singing.
Unfortunately, I am also an expert on
antisemitism, and spoke at the 2022 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) confrence Javits Center in NYC (photo above).
I was president of my undergraduate Hillel (Jewish community on campus), and organized several events with Palestinian & Israeli Peace and anti-Aparthied activists.
Contact
Email:
max.fine@student.uva.nl
