Jan. 20

Tinsley Visiting Scholar: Planetary Group

"Habitability of Planets Orbiting M Dwarfs"

abstract

Rory Barnes

University of Washington

host: Mike Endl

Jan. 27

"The Elusive and Ionized Gas Surrounding the Magellanic System"

abstract

Kathleen Barger

Texas Christian University

host: Cyndi Froning

Feb. 3

"Probing the Nature of Accretion and Planet Formation in Protoplanetary Disks: Connecting Theory with ALMA Observations"

abstract

Jacob B. Simon

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

host: Neal Evans

Feb. 10

"The Large Reservoirs of Gas Around Galaxies"

abstract

Jessica Werk

UCO/Lick Observatory

host: Volker Bromm

Feb. 12
Thursday

Special Colloquium: "Insights into Galaxy Formation from z=15 to the Present Day"

abstract

Peter Behroozi

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

host: John Kormendy

Feb. 17

"Towards a Complete Theory of Lyman-Alpha Transfer in and around Galaxies"

abstract

Mark Dijkstra

University of Oslo: Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics

host: Steve Finkelstein

Feb. 19
Thursday

Special Colloquium: "Three Problems in Trying to Form Galaxies (and how ISM Physics can Save Us)"

abstract

Desika Narayanan

Haverford College

host: Chris Sneden

Feb. 24

"The Local Universe as a Cosmology Laboratory"

abstract

Michael Boylan-Kolchin

University of Maryland

host: Volker Bromm

Feb. 26
Thursday

Special Colloquium: "New Tools for Galactic Archaeology from the Milky Way"

One of the critical components for understanding galaxy evolution is understanding the Milky Way Galaxy itself -- its detailed structure and chemodynamical properties, as well as fundamental stellar physics, which we can only study in great detail locally. This field is currently undergoing a dramatic expansion to the kinds of large-scale statistical analyses long used by the extragalactic community, among others, thanks in part to the enormous influx of data from multiple large space- and ground-based surveys. I will describe the Milky Way and Local Group in the context of general galaxy evolution and highlight some recent developments in Galactic astrophysics that have strong implications for our understanding of how galaxies form and change across cosmic time. These advances include work I have done in characterizing different phases of the ISM, understanding stellar interiors via asteroseismology, describing the resolved bulk stellar properties of the inner disk and bulge, and mapping stellar chemical properties and star formation histories throughout the Galactic disk. The rapid progress in these areas promises to continue, with the advent of coming datasets from missions like Gaia, the GMT, and WFIRST.

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Gail Zasowski

Johns Hopkins University

host: Adam Kraus

Mar. 3

"Massive Galaxy Growth since Cosmic Noon"

abstract

Stijn Wuyts

Max Planck Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik

host: Chris Sneden

Mar. 10

Tinsley Visiting Professor

"David vs. Goliath: Exploiting the Black Hole Mass Scale to Better Constrain Accretion Physics"

abstract

Sera Markoff

University of Amsterdam

host: Pawan Kumar

Mar. 17

Spring Break: March 16 - 20: no Colloquium being held this week.

Mar. 24

"MOSFIRE: the Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infrared Exploration at Keck Observatory"

abstract

Ian McLean

University of California, Los Angeles

host: Gregory Mace

Mar. 31

Tinsley Visiting Scholar: Stars Group

"SPHERE: the New High-contrast Imager for the ESO-VLT"

abstract

Raffaele Gratton

INAF - Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Italy

host: Chris Sneden

Apr. 7

No talk scheduled.

Apr. 14

"Star-Formation Driven Molecular Superwinds as Understood from the Two Nearest Starburst Galaxies (and a Small Survey)"

abstract

Adam Leroy

Ohio State University

host: Neal Evans

Friday
12 noon
Apr. 17

Qualifying Exam/2nd-Year Defense

"Chemical Analyses of Metal-Poor Stars: A New Approach"

abstract

Marc Schaeuble

University of Texas at Austin

Apr. 21

"Tracking Planet Footprints in Dusty Disks"

abstract

Catherine Espaillat

Boston University

host: Adam Kraus

Monday
12 noon
Apr. 27

Qualifying Exam/2nd-Year Defense

"Connecting the Dots: Tracking Galaxy Evolution at 3 <= z <= 7 using Fixed Cumulative Number Density in SPH Simulations"

abstract

Jason Jaacks

University of Texas at Austin

Apr. 28

Tinsley Visiting Scholar: Extragalactic Group

"Early Galaxies: Alive, Dead, Transitioning and/or Active"

abstract

Stijn Wuyts

Max Planck Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik

host: Shardha Jogee

Wed.
3 PM
Apr. 29

PhD Defense

"Innovative Technologies for - and Observational Studies of - Star and Planet Formation"

abstract

Michael Gully-Santiago

University of Texas at Austin

Thurs.
11 AM
Apr. 30
RLM 15.202A

Qualifying Exam/2nd-Year Defense

"External Inverse-Compton Emission from Jetted Tidal Disruption Events"

abstract

Wenbin Lu

University of Texas at Austin

Fri.
1 PM
May 1

PhD Defense

"On the Nature of Emission from Relativistic Jets"

abstract

Patrick Crumley

University of Texas at Austin

Fri.
2 PM
May 1

Qualifying Exam/2nd-Year Defense

"The Structure of Class 0 Protostars: BHR71 in Herschel View"

abstract

Yao-Lun Yang

University of Texas at Austin

Mon.
10 AM
May 4

Qualifying Exam/2nd-Year Defense

"Do Metal-Polluted Stars of the ZZ Ceti Instability Strip Have a Distinct Asteroseismic Signature?"

abstract

Kevin Jumper

University of Texas at Austin

Mon.
Noon
May 4

Qualifying Exam/2nd-Year Defense

"Peering Inside Galaxies in the First Two Billion Years"

abstract

Intae Jung

University of Texas at Austin

May 5

"Signatures of Neutron Star Mergers"

abstract

Brian Metzger

Columbia University

host: Pawan Kumar