Question: Why did you decide this area of study?

Emma Dean answered on 7 Mar 2016:

I find gravity really interesting! It’s interesting because gravity is everywhere, we experience it everyday, yet we know so little about it.

In our daily experiences, it is quite easy to overcome the forces of gravity, because gravity is weak. Yet when gravity is strong it can rip a hole in spacetime, bend light and slow time down. These concepts seemed really strange to me at first, so I wanted to know more. Then I found out about neutron stars. They are the second most compact object (after a black hole) in the universe. Neutron stars are very exciting because they provide an environment where the laws of physics are pushed to their extremes. Seeing how gravity affects these processes is really fascinating.

To study for a PhD you have to be dedicated. You study the same thing everyday for 3 1/2 years. For me to stay motivated, it had be something I love. So gravitational waves and neutron stars were the perfect fit!