ASD Colloquium Series - Spring 2023
ASD Colloquium Series - Spring 2023
The Astrophysics Science Division colloquia occur on Tuesdays at 3:45 pm in a Hybrid format. For in person attendees, the colloquia will be held in building 34, room W150 (unless otherwise noted), with an opportunity to meet the speaker at 3:30 pm. Virtual attendees should use connection information in the calendar invites.
Below is the list of scheduled talks for this period. Confirmed speakers are shown in bold face, while tentatively scheduled speakers are listed in normal face.
Schedules from past colloquium seasons are available.
Contact: Scott C. Noble
| January |
| Jan 3 |
No Colloquium - New Year's Week |
| Jan 10 |
No Colloquium - Winter AAS Meeting |
| Jan 17 |
No Colloquium - Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend |
| Jan 24 |
Quantum Matter and Clock: From Emergent Phenomena to Fundamental Physics
Jun Ye (JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado) |
| Jan 31 |
Transforming a "Static" View of Galaxy Clusters into a Full Dynamic Picture
Irina Zhuravleva (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the University of Chicago) |
| February |
| Feb 7 |
Reconstructing Planet Formation Using Dynamical and Chemical Fossils
Daniella C Bardalez Gagliuffi (Department of Physics & Astronomy, Amherst College) |
| Feb 14 |
Speaker TBD |
| Feb 21 |
No Colloquium - President's Day Weekend |
| Feb 28 |
Title to be announced.
Dan Foreman-Mackey (Flatiron Institute Center for Computational Astrophysics) |
| March |
| Mar 7 |
Title to be announced.
Rafael Martinez Galarza (CfA Harvard) |
| Mar 14 |
Title to be announced.
Lauranne Lanz (College of New Jersey) |
| Mar 21 |
Graceful Technical Writing
Scott Thomas (Cambridge University Press & Assessment) |
| Mar 28 |
Title to be announced.
Saavik Ford (American Museum of Natural History, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College) |
| April |
| Apr 4 |
Cosmology Bingo: CHIME results, Dark Energy, and Drones
Laura Newburgh (Department of Physics, Yale University) |
| Apr 11 |
No Colloquium - Easter Weekend |
| Apr 18 |
Title to be announced.
Naoko Neilson (Department of Physics, Drexel University) |
| Apr 25 |
Simulating galaxy formation across vast reaches of space and time: towards a new paradigm
Rachel Somerville (Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute) |
| May |
| May 2 |
Title to be announced.
Kaereem El-Badry (Harvard CfA) |
| May 9 |
Title to be announced.
Adi Foord (Stanford University) |
| May 16 |
Title to be announced.
Roy Kilgard (Astronomy Department, Wesleyan University) |
| May 23 |
Title to be announced.
Eric Schlegel (Univeristy of Texas, San Antonio) |
| May 30 |
No Colloquium - Memorial Day Weekend |
Quantum Matter and Clock: From Emergent Phenomena to Fundamental Physics
Jun Ye
JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2023
Abstract
Precise quantum state engineering, many-body physics, and innovative laser technology are revolutionizing the performance of atomic clocks and metrology, providing opportunities to explore emerging phenomena and probe fundamental physics. Recent advances include measurement of gravitation time dilation across a few hundred micrometers, and employment of quantum entanglement for clock comparison.
Transforming a "Static" View of Galaxy Clusters into a Full Dynamic Picture
Irina Zhuravleva
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the University of Chicago
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2023
Abstract
By virtue of their large mass and deep gravitational potential well, galaxy clusters are filled with low-density but extremely hot weakly-magnetized plasma that emits X-rays. Many astrophysical processes, including feedback from supermassive black holes, mergers and large-scale structure evolution, are imprinted on this hot intracluster gas. Understanding these processes is crucial for, e.g., cosmological simulations that heavily depend on the assumptions built into their models, especially on small scales. The next fundamental frontier in the studies of galaxy clusters is measuring gas velocities and related microphysics. I will present some of our recent efforts toward understanding a full dynamic picture of the ICM, from cluster core regions to outskirts and from micro to macro scales. I will show observational constraints on transport properties of the ICM that are important for sustaining and dissipating gas motions, recent updates on feedback-driven gas motions, and high-resolution numerical studies of mergers-driven physics in cluster outskirts. I will finish my talk by reviewing near- (and more distant-) future X-ray missions and examples of the new science we will be able to explore.
Reconstructing Planet Formation Using Dynamical and Chemical Fossils
Daniella C Bardalez Gagliuffi
Department of Physics & Astronomy, Amherst College
Tuesday, Feb 7, 2023
Abstract
The dynamical and chemical signatures of a planetary system are independent fossil records of its past. Orbital parameters are vestiges of its formation and dynamical evolution, while chemical compositions of planets and hosts are fingerprints of the stellar nursery and the protoplanetary disk where they formed. In this talk, I will explain the cutting-edge techniques I am using to measure orbital parameters and compositions and how to leverage them to reconstruct the history of planetary systems at a population scale. Obtaining these measurements in a volume-limited sample will enable robust statistics to develop a probabilistic model of formation mechanisms, observationally constraining their transition from stellar binary to planetary formation for the first time. This analysis will lead to the identification of spectroscopic signatures of formation with next generation observatories as we take our first steps towards a comprehensive theory of star and planet formation to uncover our cosmic origins.
Cosmology Bingo: CHIME results, Dark Energy, and Drones
Laura Newburgh
Department of Physics, Yale University
Tuesday, Apr 04, 2022
Abstract
Current cosmological measurements have left us with deep questions about our Universe: What caused the expansion of the Universe at the earliest times? How did structure form? What is Dark Energy and does it evolve with time? New experiments like CHIME are poised to address these questions through 3-dimensional maps of structure using the 21cm emission line from neutral hydrogen contained in abundance in galaxies. In this talk, I will describe recent results from the CHIME experiment that show a significant detection of neutral hydrogen in distant galaxies. I will discuss improvements we will need to make in future analyses, and how measurements of the instrument beams for telescopes using the 21cm emission of neutral hydrogen might be performed with drones.
Simulating galaxy formation across vast reaches of space and time: towards a new paradigm
Rachel Somerville
Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2022
Abstract
Upcoming experiments will map galaxies and gas across unprecedented volumes and probe further back into cosmic time than ever before, and have the potential to probe fundamental physics questions such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy, and the initial conditions of the Universe. But in order to extract the full scientific potential from these data, we need to understand how luminous tracers (stars and gas) are related to the underlying matter density field. Simulating galaxy formation from first principles is a huge computational challenge because of the vast range of scales and rich array of physics involved. All current large-volume simulations adopt ad-hoc phenomenological "sub-grid" recipes to treat critical physical processes such as star formation, stellar feedback, and black hole growth and feedback. I will review the current status of these simulations and highlight some of their successes, shortcomings, and challenges. I will then describe the philosophy and status of the SMAUG (Simulating Multiscale Astrophysics to Understand Galaxies) project, which aims to develop new, more physically grounded and predictive treatments of sub-grid processes in cosmological galaxy formation simulations, and present some of our recent results. I will highlight what we learn about galaxy formation and cosmology from the recent exciting detections of very early galaxies with JWST.
Graceful Technical Writing
Scott Thomas
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Tuesday, Mar 21, 2022
Abstract
As a scientist, communicating technical material is probably your greatest responsibility, but advice on how to write can be too prescriptive or too vague. "Avoid the passive voice." (Always?) "Don't end sentences with prepositions." (Why not?) I am an ex-astrophysicist who now works in English teaching and assessment. Using examples drawn from astronomy, I will show you how to identify common mistakes that make sentences and paragraphs difficult to understand, and share specific tips on how to convey your ideas cleanly. This talk is for everyone who writes or reads, especially if you've ever read a sentence and thought "That was confusing, but I can't say why."
Recent Colloqia Schedules
