2021
KICP Colloquium: Gilbert Holder (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
3:30–4:30 pm Zoom
Gilbert Holder (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)“The time variable mm-wave sky”
A&A Colloquium: Jacob Bean (University of Chicago)
3:30–4:30 pm Zoom - for link, please contact, Laticia Rebeles, lrebeles@oddjob.uchicago.edu
Exoplanet detection and characterization on the cusp of JWST
Exoplanet detection and characterization on the cusp of JWST The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to transform our understanding of planets and the origins of life by revealing the atmospheric compositions, structures, and dynamics of transiting exoplanets in unprecedented detail. I will present work from my group and the broader exoplanet community on three projects that are connected to JWST’s exciting promise in this area. First, I will describe atmospheric characterization efforts that have revealed ultra-hot Jupiters as a population of planets with distinct properties. Second, I will present my group’s new high-precision radial velocity spectrograph MAROON-X and our efforts to identify the best targets for JWST atmospheric characterization. MAROON-X was commissioned on the Gemini North telescope last year and is delivering unprecedented radial velocity precision on M dwarfs. Finally, I will conclude with a discussion of how the transiting exoplanet community has come together to optimize the early science results from JWST, and I will give my personal perspective on how we can build on this success moving forward.
Physics Colloquium: Joel Coley (Howard University)
3:30–4:30 pm Zoom
Joel Coley (Howard University) “A Study of Superorbital Modulation in Wind-fed Supergiant X-ray Binaries”
KICP Seminar: Vincent Vennin (APC, Paris University)
12:00–1:00 pm Zoom
Vincent Vennin (APC, Paris University) “Quantum diffusion during cosmic inflation”
KICP Colloquium: Matthew Becker (ANL)
3:30–4:30 pm Zoom
Matthew Becker (ANL) “Weak Lensing Shear Measurements in DES Y3 and Beyond!”
KICP Seminar: Gregory Mosby (NASA)
12:00–1:00 pm Zoom Room
Gregory Mosby, NASA, “Simplifying the analysis of galaxy star formation histories and near-infrared detectors”
Astronomy and Astrophysics Virtual Open House, 2021
Through March 5, 2021 Zoom
Astronomy and Astrophysics Virtual Open House, 2021
A&A Colloquium: Luis Ho (Peking University)
3:30–4:30 pm Zoom - for link, please contact Laticia Rebeles, lrebeles@oddjob.uchicago.edu
“The Impact of Quasars on the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation in Galaxies”
AGN feedback is often invoked in galaxy evolution, as a key physical mechanism to self-regulate star formation and black hole accretion. Is this mechanism truly effective? How to tell? I will describe a series of new experiments designed to use the ISM properties of quasar host galaxies to test the efficiency of AGN feedback. I will also introduce new methods to estimate the star formation rate and star formation efficiency in quasar host galaxies, which impact models of galaxy quenching. The ISM and star formation properties of quasars provide key insights into the role that black holes play in the lifecycle of galaxies.
Physics Colloquium: Cora Dvorkin (Harvard University)
3:30–4:30 pm Zoom
Cora Dvorkin, Harvard University, “Discovering New Physics with Cosmological Data Sets”
KICP Seminar: Pranava Teja Surukuchi (Yale university)
12:00–1:00 pm Zoom
Pranava Teja Surukuchi, Yale university, “Direct Measurement of Neutrino Mass with the Project”