Shahrazad Malek

Experience

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  German Jordanian University

  Oct 2011 - Aug 2012

  Teaching Assistant
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  Memorial University of Newfoundland

  Feb 2016 - now

  My PhD research focuses on simulating water nanodroplets in three phases, liquid, crystal, and glass. We are using our innovative techniques to measure the pressure and the density inside very tiny nanodroplets, which are almost 5 nm in diameter at maximum. Hence, we are able to find the equation of state of supercooled water. What is cool about that? Well, Experimentalists cannot maintain the water in the liquid state below -34 celsius! Why? Because bulk water crystallizes in a time that is much shorter than the experimental observation time.Is there anything we can do about that? YES! Do not use bulk water, and use nanodroplets instead. How? Why? Because of the surface effect of nanodoplets, the melting point in nanodroplets is suppressed. Hence, we can study the properties of bulk water using water nanodroplets.Anything else? Yes. Have you ever wondered why the specific heat of water diverges below the freezing point ? which is the same as the melting point? In Physics we explain the divergence of thermal quantities by the existence of a critical point in the phase diagram of the material, like pressure as a function of density of water. But Since the divergence is in the supercooling region, then this suggests a phase transition between high density and low density liquid water! And because we cannot study liquid water at low temperature and high pressure, which is the location of the liquid-liquid critical point, then we cannot study bulk.And that is why we propose a new way to study the properties of the liquid-liquid critical point inside tiny water nanodroplets.Briefly, water nanodroplets are so rich in facts and studying them helps us understand water even more, and helps us understand the role of water in the atmosphere. Show less

  • Assistant Professor

    Aug 2020 - now

  • Instructional Assistant

    Sept 2018 - Aug 2020

  • Teaching Assistant for Many (high and low level) Program Languages and for First Year Physics Labs

    Sept 2012 - Jul 2020

  • PHD Candidate in Computational Physics

    Sept 2014 - Aug 2018

  • Instructor

    May 2017 - Jun 2017

  • Judge in Atlantic Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy Conference (AUPAC)

    Feb 2016 - Feb 2016
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  ACENET Canada

  May 2017 - May 2017

  Helper for Software Carpentry Sessions