Sep. 2

"Hot Chromospheres and Flares on Cool and Ultracool Dwarfs"

abstract

Sarah Jane Schmidt

Ohio State University

host: Adam Kraus

Sep. 9

"Let it Collide: An Epic Saga of Star Wars Planets, Planetesimals, and Super Planet Crashes"

abstract

Stefano Meschiari

University of Texas at Austin

host: Adam Kraus

Sep. 16

"The Complex Interplay between Star Formation and Galaxy Evolution from z~0-6"

abstract

Desika Narayanan

Haverford College

host: Steve Finkelstein

Sep. 23

"Compact Galaxies and Super-Massive Black Holes"

abstract

Remco van den Bosch

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), Heidelberg

host: Karl Gebhardt

Sep. 30

"The Architecture and Timing of Planetary Systems"

abstract

Daniel Fabrycky

University of Chicago

host: TBD

Oct. 7

"Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Supermassive Black Hole?"

abstract

Jonathan Trump

Pennsylvania State University

host: Steve Finkelstein

Oct. 14

"Puzzles in the Structure of Disk Galaxies"

abstract

Stephane Courteau

Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

host: Karl Gebhardt

Oct. 21

"Galaxy Build-up in the First Gyr: Insights from ultra-deep HST and Spitzer Observations"

abstract

Pascal Oesch

Yale University

host: Steve Finkelstein

Oct. 28

"Forming Earths and Mercuries: Solids Less Volatile than Ice"

abstract

Alexander Hubbard

American Museum of Natural History, New York

host: Joel Green

Nov. 4

"Shedding Lyman Alpha Light on Cosmological Reionization"

abstract

James Rhoads

Arizona State University

host: Steve Finkelstein

Nov. 11

"From Disks to Planets: Observational Insights"

abstract

Andrea Isella

Rice University

host: Adam Kraus

Nov. 18

"The Giant Magellan Telescope Project: Science and Status"

GMT is an international collaboration to design, build, and operate a 25m diameter telescope with the goal of leading ground-based astrophysical research in exoplanet science, general astrophysics, and cosmology at optical-IR wavelengths. The consortium includes partners in Australia (ANU and Astronomy Australia Limited), the Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute, University of Sao Paulo, and several US universities and research institutes. At the core of the GMT design is its 7-segment primary mirror, which is comprised of 8.4-m diameter mirrors fabricated at the Steward Obs. Mirror Lab. Also integral to the design is an adaptive secondary mirror that will provide Adaptive Optics capabilities -- from wide-field, ground layer AO to diffraction limited AO -- with nearly 100% sky coverage. The combination will provide collecting area and diffraction-limited image quality that are an order of magnitude better than what is obtained by current facilities. The project has recently passed an extensive series of design and cost reviews, and is preparing to move into the construction phase.

In this talk, I will give a technical overview of the GMT project and discuss the science cases and goals that are driving its design. I will also describe the current status of the project and the first generation instruments that are now under development.

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Rebecca Bernstein

Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)

host: Taft Armandroff

Nov. 25

"There's Government in Your Science"

abstract

Joshua H. Shiode

American Astronomical Society

host: Jeff Silverman

Dec. 2
3.30 PM
RLM 15.216B

DeVaucouleurs Medalist

DeVaucouleurs Lecture: "The Growth of Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxy Evolution"

abstract

C. Megan Urry

Yale University

dinner host: Shardha Jogee (Medal Awarded by Daniel Jaffe)

Dec. 3
4 PM
ECJ 1.202

DeVaucouleurs Medalist

Public Lecture: "Black Holes, Galaxies and the Evolution of the Universe: An Observer's View"

abstract

C. Megan Urry

Yale University

dinner host: Daniel Jaffe

Dec. 4
4 PM
NHB 1.720

DeVaucouleurs Medalist

UT CNS Women in Science Lecture: "Why So Few? The Dearth of Women in Science"

abstract

C. Megan Urry

Yale University

dinner host: Dean Linda Hicke

Dec. 9

"Brown Dwarfs as Exoplanet Analogs"

abstract

Katelyn Allers

Bucknell University, Lewisburg PA

host: Adam Kraus