Javiera Vivanco

PhD Student, starting Fall 2026

I am a PhD student, starting in Fall 2026, and will work with Professor Enrique Paillas to study the dark energy equation of state and the large-scale structure of the universe, using recent data releases from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).

Projects

During my bachelor’s thesis, I focused on galaxy morphology, comparing two different classification methods, Galaxy Zoo (deep learning) and the CAS system, to evaluate which was more effective. I then analyzed morphology-radio and morphology-density relations to explore whether global or local factors have a stronger influence on galaxy structure. In a separate line of investigation, throughout my studies I worked as a research assistant on a statistical study of the survival of planets around white dwarfs using numerical simulations.

Extracurricular activities

In my free time I enjoy playing computer games and sudoku, watching films (especially horror and psychological thrillers), and listening to a lot of music. I like reading books as well, particularly classic literature and dystopian fiction.