Catherine Petretti

Astronomy Ph.D. Student at Harvard University

I'm a Ph.D. student studying Astronomy & Astrophysics at Harvard University. I received my B.S. from Villanova University in 2022. I started doing research on the black hole X-ray binary GRO J1655-40 with Dr. Joey Neilsen in 2019 and continued this project into 2023. In summer 2020, I received an REU from Haystack Observatory where I worked with Dr. Vincent Fish and Dr. Kazu Akiyama on imaging the supermassive black hole M87* with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and space VLBI. I continued research at Haystack Observatory in summer 2021 with Dr. Kazu Akiyama and Dr. Lynn D. Matthews on imaging with different configurations of the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA). We began another ngVLA project in 2023. I also did a brief research project on Cygnus X-1 at Villanova University with Dr. Edward Guinan in 2021.

As a Ph.D. student, my current focus has shifted to theory, early universe cosmology, and models of inflation. I currently work with Dr. Xingang Chen, Dr. Matteo Braglia, and Dr. Dhiraj Hazra on detecting and distinguishing between inflation models with LiteBIRD, an upcoming mission to detect evidence for primordial black holes in the Cosmic Microwave Background. Read more about my research below!

Research

List of current and onging research projects.

Cosmic Inflation

I'm currently working on testing if upcoming measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background will be able to detect and distinguish between different inflationary models.

Learn more

Black Hole X-Ray Binaries

My research focuses on obtaining a precise orbital period for the black hole X-ray binary GRO J1655-40 in order to get a clearer understanding of a massive outburst that took place in 2005.

Learn more

Next Generation Very Large Array

I'm working on comparing different configurations for the upcoming Next Generation Very Large Array and evaluating their performance for imaging stellar photospheres.

Learn more

Curriculum Vitae

Click here to view the latest version of my CV.

Contact