Astrophysics

JILA marked the summer solstice with a unique celebration in the X-wing basement, a space ingeniously designed to allow sunlight to illuminate its floor at midday on this special day. This architectural feature transformed the basement into a sunlit patio for a few brief minutes, allowing JILA Fellows like Eric Cornell to do a quick experiment on the architecture. 

In an article published by Universe Today, JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder Astrophysical and Planetary Scientist Ann-Marie Madigan's recent research was discussed, revealing why these white dwarf stars often appear "polluted" with heavy metals, a long-standing astronomical puzzle.

JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Physics Professor Heather Lewandowski's novel research has recently been showcased in Space Daily. The article, penned by Clarence Oxford, delves into Lewandowski's innovative experiments with cold Coulomb crystals to explore the chemical dynamics of the Interstellar Medium (ISM)—a complex blend of atoms, ions, and molecules that fill the space between stars.