- #1
hadsed
- 492
- 2
Two main questions here that google can't really help me with. Right now I do research in computational astrophysics (n-body simulations) and I think I like doing numerical simulations (I'm a pretty good programmer and I like to apply that to physics). I'm somewhat interested in particle physics, though I'm interested in particle astrophysics since I like astrophysics as well. I really wouldn't like to get into a field where there's fierce competition even for getting into Ph.D programs, let alone get jobs in them (not that I can't handle it, but why kill yourself when you can do something else that interests you?).
Anyway, I try looking up some particle astrophysics groups but I see a lot of observational stuff. To be honest, observational astronomy really isn't interesting to me at all, I really only care about the computational/theoretical physics. What fields are there in particle astrophysics that need computationalists?
Also, I'm interested in QCD because I read about lattice gauge theories and related stuff and it seems like a really interesting and highly computational field that I'd like to get into.How active is this area of research? Does it fall under some bigger category in particle physics (like CFT or something)? Is it just as competitive/impossible-to-get-into as other areas in particle physics? And just for good measure, are there any other fields in particle physics that are heavily computational?
Anyway, I try looking up some particle astrophysics groups but I see a lot of observational stuff. To be honest, observational astronomy really isn't interesting to me at all, I really only care about the computational/theoretical physics. What fields are there in particle astrophysics that need computationalists?
Also, I'm interested in QCD because I read about lattice gauge theories and related stuff and it seems like a really interesting and highly computational field that I'd like to get into.How active is this area of research? Does it fall under some bigger category in particle physics (like CFT or something)? Is it just as competitive/impossible-to-get-into as other areas in particle physics? And just for good measure, are there any other fields in particle physics that are heavily computational?