Max Hung Nguyen
Leland High School
San Jose, CA
Star2Planet: Decoding and Predicting the Stellar Signatures of Planet Formation
Max Hung Nguyen, 17, of San Jose, studied how the heavy elements in stars influence planet formation for his Regeneron Science Talent Search space science project.
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Scientists know that a star’s metallicity is a key factor in the formation of gas giants. But it is less clear how strongly it affects rocky planets like Earth. In his project, Max collected data from NASA’s Exoplanet Archive and the Hypatia Catalog and analyzed the metallicity of planetary systems. This type of analysis typically uses iron content as a shortcut for metallicity. But Max created a measure that also included carbon, oxygen, magnesium and silicon to use in his analysis.
Including these other elements improved planet formation predictions. He found that giant planets require more element-rich stars, while rocky planets form around many different kinds of stars. As a next step, Max trained an AI model to estimate the heavy elements in a star, as this data is often missing from observations. He could then predict what types of planets the star is most likely to have, helping guide exoplanet searches.
The child of Jasmine and Paul Nguyen, Max attends Leland High School, where he co-leads a peer-tutoring program. He volunteers at The Cross Team, an organization serving people without housing.
Beyond the Project
Max founded the nonprofit WellnessPlay, a student-run youth organization focusing on mental health through gaming. It now has 12 chapters and more than 200 members worldwide.
FUN FACTS: Max is a fan of classic rock, which inspired him to learn to play the guitar. Learning about the science of how an electric guitar works gave him an appreciation for the arts.
