Prof. John Lattanzio, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University, Victoria, Australia, will give a colloquium about data from the Kepler spacecraft.

Has Kepler Found Aliens?

Abstract:  The Kepler spacecraft has revolutionized the search for exo-planets and provided asteroseismology data for thousands of stars. But it probably gathered more publicity from observations of one single star. This star does not look like anything predicted – with one exception: It looks very much like predictions made for the signature alien megastructures around a star. In this talk I review the Kepler data for this star and look at possible explanations.

See flyer here

A Light refreshments will be served on the 3rd floor of Chapman from 3:30pm.

Colloquium at 4pm in Chapman Hall 125.

A reception will be held at 5pm outside of Chapman Hall 125.

Dr John Lattanzio, from the Centre for Astrophysics School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University in Clayton, Australia, will give a talk entitled “Has Kepler Found Aliens?”

The Kepler spacecraft has revolutionized the search for exo-planets, and provided aster seismology data for thousands of stars. But it probably gathered more publicity from observations of one single star. This star does not look like anything predicted – with one exception: it looks very much like predictions made for the signature of alien megastructures around a star. In this talk I review the Kepler data for this star, and look at possible explanations.

A reception will be held in the ground floor lobby of Chapman at 5pm.

This 3 Day CoSMS workshop centers on Theoretical and Experimental constraints on Naturalness, the main driver for physics beyond the Standard Model for many years. The next few years are expected to be especially informative.

More information and registration available at: http://wasabi.physics.unc.edu/indico/event/2/overview

This 3-day CoSMS workshop centers on Theoretical and Experimental constraints on Naturalness, the main driver for physics beyond the Standard Model for many years. The next few years are expected to be especially informative.

Prof. Mark Hannam, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University, will give a talk on

Numerical Relativity and the Future of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy

Abstract:  Gravitational waves have been directly detected for the first time, from the collision of two black holes. Measuring the properties of the black holes (their masses and spins) required theoretical models of the signal, calculated by combining analytic approximation techniques with numerical solutions of the full Einstein equations for the last orbits and merger. I will discuss how the models were produced that were used in measuring the properties of the first black-hole-binary observed, and the challenges ahead as we enter the era of gravitational wave astronomy.

See flyer here

This talk follows a UNC Astrophysics lecture by Dr. Subinoy Das of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, “Astrophysical Small Scale Signatures of Non-WIMP Dark Matter” in 277 from 3-4pm.

A reception will be held at 5pm in Phillips 277.

Dr Mark Hannam, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University, will give a talk on Numerical Relativity and the Future of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy.

See flyer here

This talk follows a UNC Astrophysics lecture by Dr. Subinoy Das of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, “Astrophysical Small Scale Signatures of Non-WIMP Dark Matter” in 277 from 3-4pm.

A reception will be held at 5pm in Phillips 277.

Abstract: At the turn of the 21st Century, new tools and developments, at the crossroads of theoretical and computational astrophysics, observational astronomy, cosmochemistry, and nuclear physics, have revolutionized our understanding of the physics of stellar explosions. The use of space-borne observatories has opened new windows to study the cosmos through multifrequency observations. In parallel to the elemental stellar abundances inferred spectroscopically, cosmochemists are now providing isotopic abundance ratios from micron-sized presolar grains extracted from meteorites. Encapsulated in those grains is pristine information about the suite of nuclear processes that took place in their stellar progenitors. The dawn of supercomputing has also provided astrophysicists withe appropriate tools to study complex physical phenomena that require a multidimensional approach. Last but not least, nuclear physicists have developed new techniques to determine nuclear interactions close to stellar energies. In this talk, a number of breakthroughs from all these different disciplines will be presented, with emphasis on the physical mechanisms that operate during nova explosions.

Chapel Hill, April 27, 2016; Great Room at Top of the Hill

Cosmic phenomena, including the origin of the universe, stellar explosions on the surface of white dwarfs, and the evolution of our galaxy, cannot be understood without a proper knowledge of thermonuclear reaction rates. This CoSMS workshop is designed to build a bridge between these phenomena (big bang, classical novae, and globular clusters) and their underlying nuclear physics processes. We will pursue two specific goals: first, to initiate a new program of computing new stellar models for novae that could impact the evolution of globular clusters; second, to build a significantly improved foundation for estimating thermonuclear reaction rates. Presentations will be given by selected faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. A poster session will accompany the scientific program.

Prof. Jordi José

Department of Physics, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona

Abstract: At the turn of the 21st Century, new tools and developments, at the crossroads of theoretical and computational astrophysics, observational astronomy, cosmochemistry, and nuclear physics, have revolutionized our understanding of the physics of stellar explosions. The use of space-borne observatories has opened new windows to study the cosmos through multifrequency observations. In parallel to the elemental stellar abundances inferred spectroscopically, cosmochemists are now providing isotopic abundance ratios from micron-sized presolar grains extracted from meteorites. Encapsulated in those grains is pristine information about the suite of nuclear processes that took place in their stellar progenitors. The dawn of supercomputing has also provided astrophysicists withe appropriate tools to study complex physical phenomena that require a multidimensional approach. Last but not least, nuclear physicists have developed new techniques to determine nuclear interactions close to stellar energies. In this talk, a number of breakthroughs from all these different disciplines will be presented, with emphasis on the physical mechanisms that operate during nova explosions.

Cosmic phenomena, including the origin of the universe, stellar explosions on the surface of white dwarfs, and the evolution of our galaxy, cannot be understood without a proper knowledge of thermonuclear reaction rates. This CoSMS workshop is designed to build a bridge between these phenomena (big bang, classical novae, and globular clusters) and their underlying nuclear physics processes. We will pursue two specific goals: first, to initiate a new program of computing new stellar models for novae that could impact the evolution of globular clusters; second, to build a significantly improved foundation for estimating thermonuclear reaction rates. Presentations will be given by selected faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. A poster session will accompany the scientific program.

Please contact cosms@unc.edu for registration and presentation information.

See workshop flyer for additional information.