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 All stars are observed to form in molecular clouds (MCs). Since these “stellar nurseries” set the stage for star formation in the Milky Way and other galaxies, astronomers would like to understand how they form and evolve. In this presentation, I will discuss different ways of investigating the environments and evolution of MCs. Millimeter observations, for example, show that local and extragalactic MCs have systematic velocity gradients, possibly indicating the large scale of rotation of clouds. In my study of MCs in the Milky Way and M33, I demonstrate that any viable theory of cloud formation must agree with a number of interesting trends pertaining to cloud kinematics. For instance, I find that many clouds may be counter-rotating with respect to overall galactic rotation, which has important consequences for theory and galactic simulations. I will also discuss how investigating both the dense gas and diffuse gas associated with MCs—via far-infrared and 21-cm observations—provides unique insight into how these environments evolve and eventually form stars. close 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 abstract 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