Atomic Physics Seminars |
Events on Tuesday, September 4th, 2012
- First Day of Class
- The Beginning and End of Heavy Element Nucleosynthesis
- Time: 11:00 am
- Place: 5310 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Ian Roederer, Carnegie Observatories
- Abstract: Understanding the origin of the elements is one of the major challenges of modern astrophysics. The oxygen in water molecules; the calcium in our bones; the uranium in our weapons---it's all stardust. But what about the details? The answers lie mostly with the stars. I will share recent observations from the high-resolution spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope that teach us about how some of the heaviest elements have been produced. I will highlight connections between atomic physics, nuclear physics, and astronomy that have enabled these advances.
- Host: Lawler & Zweibel