Join us for the Science Speaker Series, hosted by the Physics department on select Tuesdays and Thursdays at Noon in the Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium! This series features captivating physics-related talks from guest speakers outside ERAU, faculty experts within ERAU and student presentations (REUs or Capstone projects) in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Free pizza is served at 11:30 a.m. in front of the planetarium — no RSVP needed, just stop by!
For suggestions, comments or volunteering opportunities, contact Dr. Pragati Pradhan at pradhanp@erau.edu. Stay tuned for updates on this event page, or watch out for emails from Dr. Pradhan.
Next Event
Stellar Abundances in the Milky Way (and Beyond) and Their Implications for Nucleosynthesis
When: Feb. 20 at Noon
Where: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Our understanding of the origin of the elements is grounded in observational abundance measurements and theoretical models of stellar explosions. The current era of big data from surveys such as APOGEE, GALAH and Gaia allows us to study an unprecedented number of stars in abundance, velocity and position space. With data from these surveys, we can analyze the nucleosynthetic contributions to over 20 elements. In this talk, Dr. Emily Griffith will provide an overview of the power of abundance surveys in decoding our Galactic chemical evolution. She will discuss a multi-process model for stellar abundances and the importance of comparing empirical and theoretical nucleosynthetic yields, and highlight how we can use the Milky Way to learn fundamental properties of core-collapse and type-Ia supernovae.
About the Speaker
Dr. Emily Griffith is an NSF postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy at The University of Colorado Boulder. She studies the origin of the elements, nucleosynthetic processes and Galactic chemical evolution, and is a member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Beyond research, Emily is dedicated to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment for members of the Astronomy and STEM communities. She is a co-chair of the Committee on Inclusiveness in SDSS and is a leader in undergraduate/graduate near-peer mentorship.
Upcoming Events
When: March 11 at Noon
Where: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
A series of talks by faculty members in the Physics department, including Quentin G. Bailey, Dr. Ellie Gretarsson, Preston Jones, Dr. Brian Rachford and Dr. Noel Richardson.
When: March 27 at Noon
Where: TBD
Exploding stars can leave behind a local permanent deformation in the space-time fabric called memory. Michele Zanoline will describe how we propose to locate these scars using laser interferometric data and other related stories from her sabbatical. Find more details at: https://new.nsf.gov/news/scientists-devise-new-method-detect-permanent-distortions
When: April 10 at Noon
Where: TBD
Astro/Space students will present their Capstone projects. More information to come.
When: April 24 at Noon
Where: TBD
Astro/Space students will present their Capstone projects. More information to come.
Past Events
NOIRLab: Behind the Scenes
Date: Feb. 6, 2025 — This event has been cancelled
Venue: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Speaker: André-Nicolas Chené
REUs and Beyond During Summer 2024
Date: Jan. 21, 2025
Venue: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Talk 1: How Does Artificially Induced Particle Precipitation From HAARP Influence STEVE Airglow?
Speaker: Hailey Beier
Talk 2: Testing the Resiliency of XENONnT Background Reduction Techniques
Speaker: Taylor Brown
Talk 3: Detections of Superbubble Breakthroughs and Blowouts
Speaker: Katie Casciotti
Talk 4: Improving the Sensitivity of LIGO Searches to Binary Black Hole Signals With Smarter Detection Algorithms
Speaker: Jaxson Mitchell
Talk 5: Photometric Techniques for Analyzing the Light Behavior of Satellites
Speaker: Shannon Moore
Talk 6: Quantum Channel Masking
Speaker: Hailey Murray
Talk 7: Rapid Search for Higher Modes in GW From Compact-Binary-Coalescence
Speaker: Kya Schluterman
Research Talks by Physics Faculties I
Date: Jan. 30, 2025
Venue: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Talk 1: Pattern Formation and Equivariant Bifurcation
Speaker: Tim Callahan
Talk 2: Opportunities in Dr. Smith’s Research Group
Speaker: Dr. Darrel Smith
Talk 3: Hearing Farther Into the Universe
Speaker: Andri Gretarsson
Talk 4: LIGO Detector Characterization
Speaker: BrennanHughey
Talk 5: Beyond What Human Eyes Can See: The Universe in X-rays
Speaker: Dr. Pragati Pradhan
A Guide to Applying to Graduate School
Date: Sept. 19, 2024
Venue: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Speaker: Janessa Sloane, University of Virginia
Weird Binaries Under Close Surveillance: TU Tau and HD 5501
Date: Oct. 3, 2024
Venue: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Speaker: Dr. Christopher Corbally, Jesuit priest of the British Province, emeritus vice director of the Vatican Observatory and an adjunct astronomer at the University of Arizona
Physics Investigations Using the Sensors in Your Phone
Date: Oct. 30, 2024
Venue: Lower Hangar
Speaker: Dr. David Rakestraw, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
An ALMA View of the Disks Surrounding the Closest Young Binaries
Date: Nov. 7, 2024
Venue: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Speaker: Dr. Taylor Kutra, Lowell Observatory
Black Holes, Exploding Stars and Clusters of Galaxies: 25 Years With Chandra, NASA's Flagship-Class X-Ray Observatory
Date: Nov. 14, 2024
Venue: Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium
Speaker: Dr. Scott Randall, Senior Astrophysicist and the head of the Chandra Science Operations Team in Mission Planning in the Chandra X-ray Center at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA)