Tell us about your research project and why it is important to you.
My area of work in physics is cosmology, including all the mathematical and computational tools that it entails. We are interested in contrasting the observations we obtain of the universe through experiments and telescopes with what the theory predicts, as well as understanding what the discrepancies that we see between theory and experiment mean. Broadly, my research project is focused on testing whether general relativity is a valid theory at cosmological scales (scales beyond galaxy clusters). It is important since, in the same way we proved that the theory of general relativity is appropriate to solar scales, we are doing it right now at much greater distances. We want to know if there is a limit in which the theory breaks down, and if so, to know what causes it. In addition, it is important to mention that many statistical and computational tools that are developed in the process can be applied to other areas of science, or even industry if desired.
Have you presented or published your research somewhere? Tell us about the experience.
Throughout my two years in the doctoral program, together with my advisor and some doctoral colleagues, I have published two articles in peer-reviewed journals as the first author. We are about to release two more papers this month. I have presented these works at some conferences and meetings like the American Physical Society here in Texas. I have also presented these works remotely and in person at collaborations that we participate in, specifically for the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC) associated with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) experiment. Sometimes it can be difficult to present your work, especially depending on the audience and—more than anything—the language. That is why it is important to do it whenever you can to improve and get over fears if you have them.
What would you say is something interesting about your area of study that most people don't know?
I think it is interesting that the current theories that we have in physics to model what we see in the universe have reached very high levels of precision. However, despite these levels of precision, there are many physical phenomena for which we do not know the causes. For some reason, the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate, certain parts of the galaxies rotate at higher speeds than expected, and we observe that there is tension between various experiments when they measure certain parameters, which could lead to new theories. There are many mysteries that need researching.
Tell us about your academic or professional collaborations with Mexico.
We are currently participating in the LSST-DESC collaboration, as I mentioned above, and we recently joined the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) project. Especially in this last experiment, there are several groups from Mexico collaborating. To mention a few, UNAM has a strong presence and so do CINVESTAV, Universidad de Guanajuato, and the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). Despite the fact that we collaborate in different areas, at times there will have to be some overlap between us. Therefore, it can be said that we are participating, along with some Mexican institutions, in experiments of international relevance.
What attracted you to Texas and UTD?
I was part of the summer program for Mexican students at The University of Texas at Dallas. This is how I met my current advisor. We kept in touch, and eventually I decided to come back to UTD applying for the Conacyt-ConTex scholarship. In addition, people at UT Dallas were very friendly and available to answer my questions; even when I was in Mexico we got to have telephone conversations, which was a very nice gesture.
What have been some good things that you didn't expect from Texas or UTD?
Without a doubt, I would say that I found some very good friends with whom it was easy to adjust, even though I thought it was going to take more time. It is a very safe and quiet campus.
What have been the biggest challenges of studying at UTD and living in the United States?
Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice considerable research time to prepare for the qualifying exams at the university. Also, upon arriving in Texas, the language became somewhat of a challenge, but it is part of the transition. Eventually, it becomes second nature.
In what way has the support of ConTex and Conacyt impacted you?
Most of my fellow PhD students spend a good deal of time and money navigating through their PhD. Fortunately, the support of ConTex and Conacyt helps you focus that time and effort on your research. In that sense, credit for the research that I have been able to carry out also belongs to these institutions and Mexico itself
What kind of work do you hope to do in the future? In what ways do you hope your research will benefit people in the United States and Mexico?
It is feasible to say that if we continue at this rhythm we could become even more involved in international collaborations, where, in the future, Mexican institutions and students can participate even more actively. Currently, Mexico is involved in the area of astrophysics at the international level through its telescopes and experiments. It is important to continue involving the country in these kinds of projects, whenever possible, so that students who do not want to emigrate from the country can stay and collaborate directly in Mexico.
What advice would you give other Mexican students considering studying in Texas?
One has to always keep in mind that there will be good and bad moments in the doctoral program. We must be aware of where our salary is coming from, which is ultimately the Mexican taxpayers, and we must remember that we left our family and friends to come here and pursue our passion. My advice would be for students to be aware that we are privileged, and that we must be resilient, work hard, and learn what we can from our fellow PhDs and our advisors. I would especially emphasize teamwork.
