Colloquia and PhD Talks Schedule Summer 2014

 

May 12
3 PM

Qualifying Exam/2nd Year Defense

"Outflows and Chemical Enrichment from Clustered Supernovae in the First Galaxies"

abstract

Jeremy Ritter

University of Texas at Austin

Qualifying Exam Committee Meeting follows at 4 PM in RLM 15.216A

May 13
2 PM

Qualifying Exam/2nd Year Defense

"The Lyman-alpha Signature of the First Galaxies"

abstract

Aaron Smith

University of Texas at Austin

Qualifying Exam Committee Meeting follows at 3 PM in RLM 15.216A

May 14
2 PM

Qualifying Exam/2nd Year Defense

"Formation of Massive Star Clusters - an Application of Monte Carlo Radiation Hydrodynamics"

abstract

Tsz Ho (Benny) Tsang

University of Texas at Austin

Qualifying Exam Committee Meeting follows at 3 PM in RLM 15.202A

May 22
3:30 PM

Special Seminar

"Fragmentation in Primordial Gas: Improving H2 Cooling and Self-Shielding"

abstract

Tilman Hartwig

University of Heidelberg, Germany

(host: Volker Bromm)

June 10
3 PM

Special Visiting Speaker Presentation (visiting: 7-14 June 2014)

"Pre-supernova Convection in Massive Stars"

abstract

Manos Chatzopoulos

University of Chicago

host: Crag Wheeler

July 10
11 AM

PhD Defense Presentation

"Creating and Measuring White Dwarf Photospheres in a Terrestrial Laboratory"

abstract

Ross Falcon

University of Texas at Austin

PhD Committee Meeting follows at 12 Noon in RLM 15.216A

July 10
3 PM

PhD Defense Presentation

"Study of Galactic Clumps with Millimeter/Submillimeter Continuum and Molecular Emission: Early Stages of Massive Star Formation"

abstract

Manuel Merello

University of Texas at Austin

PhD Committee Meeting follows at 4 PM in RLM 15.216A

July 11
11 AM

PhD Defense Presentation

"Simulating the Formation, Properties, and Impact of Stellar Systems in the First Galaxies"

The ignition of the first sources of light marked the end of the cosmic dark ages, an era when the Universe transitioned from the relatively simple conditions following the Big Bang to the complex tapestry of dark matter, baryons, and pervasive cosmic radiation fields we see today. To better understand this uncharted cosmic epoch, we primarily utilize hydrodynamical, N-body simulations to model the assembly of the first galaxies at redshifts z ~ 10 and the stars that form within them. These simulations begin from cosmological initial conditions, employ a robust, non-equilibrium chemo-thermodynamic model, and take advantage of adaptive-grid-refinement to probe the multi-scale, complex process of star formation from ab initio principles. We explore the consequences that metal enrichment has on the process of star formation, confirming the presence of a critical metallicity for low-mass star formation. To assess the observational prospects of these primeval stellar populations with next-generation telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope, we constrain the star formation efficiency of both metal-enriched and metal-free star formation in a typical first galaxy. We also resolve the formation of individual metal-enriched stars in simulations that ultimately began from cosmological scales, allowing meaningful comparisons between our simulations and the recently discovered ultra-faint dwarf satellite galaxies, the suspected analogs of the first galaxies in the local Universe.

close

Chalence Safranek-Shrader

University of Texas at Austin

PhD Committee Meeting follows at 12 Noon in RLM 15.216A

Aug 8
2 PM

Special Presentation

"The Violent Early Lives of Stars and Planets"

abstract

Joel Green

University of Texas at Austin

Aug 11
11 AM

PhD Defense Presentation

"The Chemical Abundances of Stars in the Halo"

Julie Hollek

University of Texas at Austin

PhD Committee Meeting follows at 12 Noon in RLM 15.202A

Aug 14
2 PM

PhD Defense Presentation

"Radiation Hydrodynamics and Simulations of Astrophysical Phenomena"

Chris Lindner

University of Texas at Austin

PhD Committee Meeting follows at 4 PM in RLM 15.202A

Visitors to the Department of Astronomy can find detailed information and maps on our Visiting Austin Page.

Please report omissions/corrections to: G. Orris at argus@astro.as.utexas.edu.

Current

Fall '16

Previous

Spring '16

Summer '15

Spring '15

Fall '14

Summer '14

Spring '14

Fall '13

Spring '13

Fall '12

Spring '12

Fall '11

Spring '11

Fall '10

Spring '10

Fall '09

Spring '09

Fall '08

Spring '08

Fall '07

Spring '07

Fall '06

Spring '06

Fall '05

Spring '05

Fall '04

Spring '04

Fall '03

Spring '03

Fall '02