Why Science?
ORNL is proud of its role in fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers. We bring in talented young researchers, team them with accomplished scientists and engineers, and put them to work at the lab’s one-of-a-kind facilities. The result is research that makes us proud and prepares them for distinguished careers.
We asked some of these young researchers why they chose a career in science, what they are working on at ORNL, and where they would like to go with their careers.
Jordi Casanova
Postdoc, Physics Division
Ph.D., Astrophysics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Hometown: La Garriga, Spain
What are you working on at ORNL?
My work focuses on understanding the nature of stellar explosions, such as core-collapse supernovae and classical novae. Currently, I am performing multidimensional hydrodynamic simulations to study the interplay between turbulence and the dynamics of the explosion during a supernova event.
What would you like to do in your career?
I am a theoretical astrophysicist interested in deciphering how stars explode and die. I want to strengthen the connections among the research groups working on different aspects of stellar physics and develop novel techniques to finally construct a solid theory, aimed to describe these titanic explosions in the universe.
Why did you choose a career in science?
I have always been fascinated by the cosmos and wondered how the universe is structured. Becoming a scientist allows me to satisfy my curiosity about solving this puzzle and get excited by new findings every day. In the end, there is nothing more beautiful than stars.