Colloquia Schedule Fall 2016

Colloquia are on Tuesdays (unless otherwise indicated) at 3:30 pm in RLM 15.216B


Aug. 30	*Setting Stellar Chronometers: The PTF(+) Open Cluster Survey* abstract Marcel Agueros Columbia University host: Adam Kraus
Sep. 6	*Exploring Galaxy Formation in the Epoch of Reionisation* abstract Stephen Wilkins University of Sussex host: Steve Finkelstein
Sep. 13	*The Milky Way Laboratory* abstract Cara Battersby Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics host: Neal Evans
Sep. 20	No talk scheduled
Sep. 27	Spin and Magnetism in Cool Stars abstract Elisabeth Newton Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research host: Andrew Mann
Oct. 4	A Story of Stellar Nurseries abstract Nia Imara Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics host: Caitlin Casey
Oct. 11	Network Cosmology: What can we learn from galaxy Facebook? Sungryong Hong Comet Update! Adam McKay The Fossil Record of Binary and Planetary Orbits Trent Dupuy UT Postdocs (Three talks)
Oct. 18	Formation and Compositions of Planet Interiors and Atmospheres: Discoveries from Kepler, K2, and beyond abstract Erik Petigura California Institute of Technology host: Brendan Bowler
Oct. 25	The Future of Exoplanet Science at McDonald Observatory abstract Paul Robertson Penn State University host: Greg Mace
Nov. 1	Building Supermassive Black Hole Binaries abstract Kelly Holley-Bockelmann Vanderbilt University host: Craig Wheeler/Eva Noyola
Nov. 8	Towards the Characterization of Potentially Habitable Planets with High Resolution Spectroscopy Small exoplanets orbiting small stars are the most common outcome of planet formation. Their occurrence is so high, in fact, that the closest rocky planets in the habitable zone of their parent stars might well be "around the corner" in astronomical terms, as the recent discovery of Proxima Cen b demonstrates. Terrestrial exoplanets orbiting stars cooler and less massive than the Sun will be the prime targets for atmospheric characterization and the search of potential biomarkers in the near future. This because the planet/star signal ratio is sensibly increased compared to an Earth-Sun twin. In this talk I will present a relatively recent and novel technique to observe exoplanet atmospheres based on the use of high dispersion spectroscopy (HDS). I will review past successes in characterizing giant planets, among which are the first detections of the atmospheres of non-transiting planets and the first measurements of exoplanet rotation. I will show how HDS will be used in the near future to characterize hundreds of exoplanets, including those found by TESS, and eventually combined with high-contrast imaging to hunt for biomarkers, with a particular focus on terrestrial planets orbiting M-dwarfs such as Proxima Cen b. close Matteo Brogi University of Colorado Boulder host: Dan Jaffe
Nov. 15	Controlling Star Formation: From Clouds to Galaxies abstract Eve Ostriker Princeton University host: Volker Bromm
Nov. 22	Drilling the Chicxulub Impact Structure: Study of large impact formation and effects on life abstract Sean Gulick The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics host: Bill Cochran

Nov. 29	Dust-obscured star formation at the Cosmic Frontier : New observations from the Large Millimeter Telescope abstract Alexandra Pope University of Massachusetts Amherst host: Caitlin Casey
Dec. 6	Moving Near Field Cosmology Beyond the Local Group abstract David Sand Texas Tech University host: Kristy McQuinn