2023
In memory of Erik Shirokoff
8:00 am–6:00 pm ERC 161
Erik Shirokoff, astronomer who built instruments to map the universe, 1979-2023. Remembered as patient and generous teacher and mentor.
Brinson Lecture: Jane Rigby (NASA GSFC)
6:00–7:30 pm Spertus Museum, Feinberg Theater
The James Webb Space Telescope is, by orders of magnitude, the most powerful telescope ever built. Webb is many things at once: a transformative scientific instrument, a demanding feat of engineering, an international collaboration, and, it has become a hopeful symbol of what humanity can accomplish. In her lecture, Dr. Rigby will describe how 20,000 of the world’s best engineers designed and built this audacious deployable telescope, then tested it on the ground to be sure it would unfurl correctly a million miles out in space.
Seminar: Dimitar Sasselov (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
2:00–3:00 pm GCIS 301
Dimitar Sasselov (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) “The Chiral Puzzle of Life’s Origins”
KICP colloquium: Laura Mersini-Houghton (University of North Carolina)
3:30–4:30 pm ERC 161
Laura Mersini-Houghton (University of North Carolina) “The Origin of Our Universe”
Astronomy special seminar: Jane Rigby (NASA)
11:00 am–12:00 pm MCP 201
Jane Rigby (NASA) “Using Gravitational Lensing to Dissect Star-Forming Galaxies”
Astro Tuesday: Rebecca Diesing and Zhuowen Zhang
12:00–1:00 pm ERC 501
Rebecca Diesing “Understanding the multi-wavelength emission from astrophysical shocks” and Zhuowen Zhang “Covariance modeling for cluster weak lensing observables”
2023 Spring Postdoc Symposium
1:00–4:00 pm ERC 401
We are excited to announce that the second KICP Postdoc Symposium of the year will be held on May 5th from 1pm - 3:45 pm as an in-person event in ERC 501.
A&A Colloquium: Wen-fai Fong (Northwestern University)
3:30–4:30 pm ERC 161
Wen-fai Fong (Northwestern University) “Unfolding the Dynamic and Colorful Lives of Neutron Star Mergers”
Astro Tuesday Talks
12:00–1:00 pm ERC 401
A special Astro lunch, several of our department members will report on their first results using the JWST.
KICP seminar: Benjamin Wallisch (OKC & UT Austin)
12:00–1:00 pm ERC 401
Benjamin Wallisch (OKC & UT Austin) “Power Spectrum Probes of the Early Universe”