Texas Lutheran University
NASA Goddard Space Center Intern
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Daniel Morales_ SPS Presentation 2018.pdf
Abstract:
The current generation of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization experiments demand high-performance background-limited-sensors to achieve the desired levels of instrument sensitivity. One particularly promising approach, commonly known as MKIDs (Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors), is based on monitoring the response of a resonator in the presence of radiation with sufficient energy to influence the device’s superconducting properties. This architecture is amendable to realizing high focal plane density while maintaining readout with low parasitic thermal loads in a sub-kelvin cryogenic environment. Using a finite element analysis method solver, COMSOL Multiphysics®, electromagnetic simulations were conducted on representative sensor geometries.
My name is Daniel Morales, I am from Austin, Texas but I go to a small Lutheran school in Seguin, Texas. I am majoring in Applied Physics and I plan on attending graduate school for a career (as of right now) in some sort of materials science, hopefully to work with renewable energies. I chose to do research at NASA in order to gain some exposure in the other fields of physics that I may not be able to get into after my undergraduate career. It has also been my dream to work at a place as prestigious as NASA, so I am beyond ready for the experience to work amongst these professionals and also my colleagues at the SPS internship.
Outside of studying physics, my hobbies and interests include teaching physics through tutoring sessions at my school, spending time with family and friends, and also spending time in the gym powerlifting. I also enjoy playing video games, mainly classics such as Super Smash Bros, Legend of Zelda, etc.