Caltech Astronomy Public Lecture Series - Big Questions, Small Telescopes, Fast Astronomy - Vikram Ravi - 12/04/2020

What would the sky look like if your eyes could see in radio waves? How is matter distributed throughout the Universe? Join us for a presentation and discussion of how radio astronomy can reveal these answers and more. Timestamps, links, and Q&A panel questions are included below. Welcome & Announcements: 00:00 Stargazing Tips for Mars & Pleiades Star Cluster: 05:12 Introduction of Speaker: 09:10 Lecture: 09:43 Q&A Panel Start and Introductions: 41:20 Where are the best places to build radio telescopes? 46:29 What about building a radio telescope on the Moon? 48:26 What astrophysical phenomena might occur in very low frequency radio waves? 53:34 How much of the sky can the DSA-110 see at once? 57:07 What are our favorite space-related films? 59:08 How do radioactive isotopes form in the universe? 1:10:32 How do radioactive isotopes make planets more habitable? 1:15:57 Can we measure the magnetic fields of exoplanets? 1:20:43 Is it possible to terraform Mars? 1:25:24 What does the solar wind prevent us from observing? 1:28:52 How can we study dark matter without seeing it? 1:31:24 What are the best universities for studying computational astrophysics? 1:47:29 How are magnetars formed differently from neutron stars? 1:49:25 What can't we replace about the Arecibo radio telescope? 1:51:34 What are our least favorite space-related films? 1:57:25 Closing remarks: 2:03:30 Date: December 4, 2020 Lecturer: Vikram Ravi Title: Big Questions, Small Telescopes, and Fast Astronomy Abstract: What would the sky look like if your eyes could see in radio waves? You would see the glow of cosmic rays spiraling in the magnetic field of the Milky Way, the sputter of relativistic jets expelled by supermassive black holes, and behind everything the faint echo of radiation from the dawn of the Universe. But if you blink, you may miss one of the most exciting phenomena in astronomy today: fast radio bursts from distant galaxies. At the Owens Valley Radio Observatory in eastern California, Caltech is building arrays of radio telescopes to discover these bursts and pinpoint their origins. In doing so we will address some of the most compelling questions in astronomy: What are the various types of neutron stars that can be formed? How is matter distributed throughout the Universe? What is the nature of dark matter? Participants: Dr. Vikram Ravi is an assistant professor of astronomy at Caltech. He builds and uses telescopes to study the hidden parts of the Universe, such as objects that are visible only for milliseconds, and matter that is otherwise dark. He is a passionate educator, and also enjoys the outdoors, music-making, food, and travel to far-flung parts of the world. https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/~vikram/ Evan Haze Nuñez is a graduate student in astrophysics at Caltech. He uses distant objects and theoretical models to understand the chemical evolution of galaxies. He loves outreach and education, is a Southern California native, is an audiophile, an amateur photographer, and console gamer. https://evanhazey.github.io/evanhazenunez/ Michael Zhang is an astronomy graduate student. He studies the atmospheres of planets around other stars, especially small rocky planets, by measuring their composition and mass loss. He is also a history buff who especially loves the history of ancient Rome. Roma invicta! https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/~mz/ Dr. Cameron Hummels is a postdoctoral researcher in theoretical astrophysics at Caltech. He creates supercomputer simulations to study the formation and evolution of galaxies since the Big Bang. In addition to astrophysics and public education, he is really enthusiastic about trail-running, long-distance backpacking, brewing, chess, and the astronaut program. http://chummels.org Notes: Sky Visualization Software (free!): https://stellarium.org/ Additional Information about the upcoming Geminids Meteor Shower: https://earthsky.org/?p=187764