Meet Armin Nabizadeh, a doctoral researcher at the University of Turku and an UTUambassador 2019-2022!
"My name is Armin Nabizadeh and I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in high energy astrophysics at the University of Turku. I got my bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Tabriz in Iran, and METU in Turkey, respectively. For the first time and before joining UTU, I learned about the university in summer 2015 during a summer school which was held in Tuorla Observatory, the biggest observatory in Finland. One of the most important reasons that I chose UTU to continue my studies was the notable faculty members. UTU researchers are very actively doing great works in their research area, especially in astrophysics. Once I started my Ph.D. at UTU, I found out that studying at UTU has other various advantages such as great sports facilities, professional scientific labs, the location in city which is very close to the city center and its good relations with other big universities around the world."
Instagram: @armin.astrophysics
Armin's study experience:
I got my Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Tabriz in Iran. I’ve always been fascinated by starry nights and the endless universe so I decided to continue my studies and research in astrophysics. In this regard, I started a Master’s program at the Middle East Technical University which is one of the best international universities in Turkey. Soon after defending my Master’s thesis, I joined the High-Energy Astrophysics research group at UTU where I’ve had the chance to do research alongside notable scientists.
In my doctoral thesis, I study X-Ray Pulsars which are binary systems in which a highly-magnetized neutron star accretes matter from its companion star. The infalling matter onto the surface of the neutron star produces a huge amount of energy mostly in the form of X-rays. Using the X-ray data obtained by several space telescopes, I study these bright sources by performing spectral and timing analyses.
Neutron stars are small and compact objects with a radius of 10-12 kg and a mass of 1.4 solar masses possessing strong magnetic fields which are impossible to attain in our labs. Therefore, these objects are the finest natural laboratories to investigate the physics of matter under extreme conditions. As the most interesting part of the project, I measure the magnetic field strength of X-ray pulsars and study its evolution with X-ray luminosity.
Having spent more than 10 years in academia, I realized that the only thing that can quench my thirst for knowledge is an academic career. Being a researcher gives me the opportunity to explore and learn new things, which are my favorites. For now, I prefer to be in an educational environment dealing with other researchers and motivated students, however, I am open to other interesting job opportunities.