Spacetime symmetries
Ohio Wesleyan University student completes research in physics and astronomy
Name: Parthey Vasani ’27
Hometown: Rajkot, India
Secondary school: SNK School
Main subjects: Physics and Mathematics
Irrelevant: Computer Science
OWU connection experience: Summer Scientific Research Program (SSRP)
Vasani spent 10 weeks conducting a research project entitled “Testing Lorentz and CPT symmetries with neutrons”. He was supervised by Yunhua DingPh.D., Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy.
My research
“This project focuses on testing fundamental spacetime symmetries. These symmetries in our universe state that the laws of physics remain the same when charge is flipped, space is inverted, time is reversed, or when the speed and orientation of a system is changed.
“We looked for symmetry-violating signals and studied their properties by examining how the spin motion of a neutron would change if such symmetries were allowed to be broken in nature. Using existing experimental data on the spin motion of neutrons, we were able to constrain the size of these symmetry-violating signals. This allows experimentalists to figure out what to expect if these symmetry violations exist.”
Important science
“I chose this experience because it could be the key to explaining the baryon asymmetry of the universe (BAU) in the future. BAU is a question that cannot be answered with our modern understanding of physics: why is there a lot of matter in our universe but almost no antimatter? This problem fascinates me and I want to contribute to the research that may lead to its solution.”
I had many “Aha!” moments, and for me those were the most beautiful moments of this experience.
My favorite moment
“I had many aha moments, which was my favorite part of the experience. Whenever I got stuck in my calculations or came up with an answer that didn’t make sense, I had to spend days, sometimes weeks, trying to figure out what I had done wrong. The happiness I felt when I solved a problem that I had been stuck on for weeks kept me going.”
Lessons learned
“I learned a lot through this research. I learned how to program in Mathematica to solve complex mathematical equations that would take hours to solve manually. In addition, I also learned the basics of quantum field theory, an extended version of quantum mechanics that explains how particles behave on a small scale.
“The most important thing I learned from this experience, however, was the research process in theoretical physics. I learned that sometimes I come across a problem that cannot be solved for a long time, which can be frustrating and demotivating, but coming up with new ideas and new methods to solve that problem and looking at it from different angles is what ultimately helps me through the process.”
My faculty mentor
“Dr. Ding is a great professor and I enjoyed working with him. I have always had a great interest in his research and was excited to work with him over the summer. I also gained a great understanding of the fundamentals of quantum mechanics from him in my Contemporary Physics course in Fall 2023. He always guided me when I got stuck on a problem throughout the course and showed me what theoretical physics research is really about. I believe that the insights I gained from him on how to approach a problem will be really helpful to me in my career in physics.”
Why did I choose Ohio Wesleyan?
“When I saw the research opportunities students get at OWU, I knew OWU was the right school for me. I also chose OWU because of the small and close environment where I could work personally with my professors to better myself and grow as a student and aspiring physicist.”
My plans after graduation
“After graduating from OWU, I plan to pursue a Master’s degree in physics. OWU has offered me many opportunities to further my knowledge of physics. The great teachers and opportunities here will help me greatly in achieving my goals and gaining in-depth knowledge and experience in my field.”
