Shreya Shah

3, Amarnath Plots
Rajkot – 360007
India

E-mail: shreyatusharshah@gmail.com

PRISMA Cluster of Excellence

Graduate Marketing and Recruiting
Staudingerweg 9
55128 Mainz 23 November, 2018

Dear Sir/Ma’am,

RE: Motivation letter for Research Area B “Origin of mass and Physics beyond the
standard model”

Having completed my graduation with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Physics from
Christ College, Saurashtra University in March 2018, I have since been looking forward to be a
part of an extensive research based academic programme to pursue and propel my interest in
Cosmology and Astrophysics. I hereby extend my application to show my firm interest for the
PRISMA internship programme at JGU, Mainz. Throughout my span of undergraduate
education, I have exhibited a substantial level of co-curricular and academic performance
through engaging myself in pursuits that involved both learning and teaching. It involved
independent research, and to develop a coherence of ideas and thoughts that lead to a scientific
insight.

One of the reasons I am looking forward to be part of this programme is due to the
variety of modules/projects that deeply interest me and whose equivalents are not currently
available at my home university. Also, performing research in foreign waters is such an excellent
research environment will enhance my potential and expand my skills. Having finished a
certificate course in Astronomy and Astrophysics, I have worked on the topic of “Cosmological
histories of the universe and performed brief numerical investigation on the Freidmann equations
and equation of state (w) parameters through plottings in PYTHON whilst my internship at
SEAS, Ahmedabad University.

I developed a strong interest for theoretical physics when I took time to educate myself
with QFT, fundamental particle interactions and cosmographic models in order to excel beyond
the courses provided at my university, independently. Also earned an aptitude for basic lab
technicalities during my internship at the Dept. of Nanotechnology where in I studied properties
of nano Titanim Dioxide and its applications for Perovskite solar cells. Consequently, my
preferred area of interest is “Origin of mass and Physics beyond the standard model”. During
my undergraduate studies I worked on a poster presentation and a brief talk on the “Breaking of
Electroweak symmetry” and since then I always wanted to work on the gauge symmetry
breaking and The Minimal SM in a research oriented manner.I believe the nature of my work
here and throughout my degree course has prepared me for this internship a fit for this position
based on my research interests and relevant work, my potential to thrive under testing
circumstances and the ability to think critically.
 Having engaged myself in activities of observational astronomy by the age of 16 and
volunteering for countless public programmes I have developed soft skills like teamwork,
patience and perseverance which are obligatory in this field. I am bravely confident about my
paper and content writing skills, which are reflected in my posts, articles and paper. (links
enclosed in my CV). My future research plans are inclined towards study of analogy between
sterile neutrinos and dark matter, considering that the non-thermal production of dark matter
and production of sterile neutrinos are strikingly similar. The PRISMA internship programme is
clearly ideal for me, based on the department’s integration of cosmology, theoretical and
observational astrophysics, and the opportunity to develop and pursue short-term projects in a
brilliant multi-cultural environment. I am sending out this letter with enthusiasm and hope for an
approval to this transcending opportunity.

Yours Sincerely,
Shreya Shah