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 The field of exoplanet science, particularly as it relates to the discovery and characterization of the nearest exoplanets, stands at the threshold of a renaissance. A new generation of dedicated radial velocity (RV) spectrometers is quickly coming online, which will enable sub-1 m/s Doppler measurements of nearby stars across the entire optical-NIR bandpass. Combined with transit observations from K2 and the upcoming TESS mission, these instruments promise an era of characterization for nearby low-mass exoplanets. Further afield, the development of space-based and 30-meter telescopes capable of measuring the atmospheres of Earthlike planets offers the tantalizing possibility of transitioning from exoplanet taxonomy to observational astrobiology. With the imminent arrivals of the Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) and the upgraded High Resolution Spectrometer (HRS) and, later, the Giant Magellan Telescope, McDonald Observatory is well equipped to lead the field of observational exoplanet science in the coming decades. I will outline the primary science drivers and capabilities of today's exoplanet observing technology, and explain how ongoing initiatives to discover exoplanets and measure their properties will set the stage for exploring those planets with tomorrow's telescopes. I will discuss the vital role of ultra-precise RV instruments in an era where exoplanets are discovered in bulk by transit surveys, focusing on the HPF instrument at HET. Actually achieving Doppler measurements more precise than 1 m/s is fraught with challenges, and I will highlight some of the novel approaches HPF and other upcoming Doppler spectrometers are implementing to achieve unprecedented stability. With the improvements in measurement precision comes the simultaneous need to better mitigate astrophysical noise from stars themselves, and I will emphasize the fact that discovering and characterizing Earth analogs in the near future will require a concerted, collaborative effort from instrumentalists, astrophysicists, and statisticians. close 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