JILA Auditorium

Abstract: Thorne-Zytkow objects (TZOs) - stars with the outward appearance of red supergiants supported by neutron degenerate cores - are some of the most mysterious and compelling stars in the universe. Thought to be formed from the mergers of binary massive stars, they represent a completely new model for stable stellar interiors, a distinct evolutionary channel for massive binaries and compact objects, and a novel channel for producing the heavy elements that have enriched our universe.

Abstract: NASA's latest great flagship observatory, JWST, was built in part to reveal the earliest moments of cosmic history. In the ~2 years since it began releasing data to the public, JWST has enthralled scientists and the public alike with the incredible images and spectroscopic information from astronomical objects as nearby as our solar system and beyond to the most distant reaches of the Universe.

Abstract forthcoming

Abstract: Inflationary cosmology has been widely accepted for decades. Yet there are persistent debates about inflation which raise central questions in philosophy of science. Skeptics have often expressed doubt regarding whether inflation is "testable" or "falsifiable," due to the flexibility of inflationary models. This is an instance of a general question in philosophy of science: to what extent does phenomenological success support the claim that a theory gets the physics right?

Abstract:   Ever since the invention of the laser over 60 years ago, scientists have been striving to create x-ray lasers. In the same way that visible lasers can concentrate light energy far better than a light bulb, a directed beam of x-rays would have many useful applications. The problem was that until recently, ridiculously high powers were needed to make an x-ray laser.

Abstract: The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft mission characterized and collected a sample from asteroid (101955) Bennu.

Abstract

Abstract: The first robotic commercial lunar lander, Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus, touched down on the Moon in the South Pole region on 22 February 2024. This mission was part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Odysseus carried with it the first NASA radio astronomy telescope to the surface of the Moon – Radiowave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES).