Andrew Burkhardt, Worcester State University
Saturday, October 14
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

The Hunt for Lost Interstellar Rings and Chains: GOTHAM, ARKHAM, and Our Aromatic Origins

One of the most important molecular shapes in chemistry is aromatic molecules, extremely stable rings of carbons surrounded by hydrogen. On Earth, ~80% of all known molecules, including the 4 basic nucleotides that make up DNA, contain at least one ring. In space, it is believed that 20% of all carbon is locked up in this family of molecules, which ultimately form the first seeds of planet formation. Up until recently, it has been nearly impossible to individually study this family of molecules in space. Andrew Burkhardt will discuss how we use radio and infrared telescopes, state-of-the-art computation simulations, and chemical labs here on Earth to study where these rings in space are and how they got there.

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Katherine Whitaker, UMass Amherst
Saturday, November 11
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Rewriting the History of our Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope

The first year of observations from the James Webb Space Telescope has revolutionized our understanding of the Universe. Webb is a 6.5-meter space telescope sensitive to infrared light, detecting light from ancient galaxies >13 billion years in the past. These first galaxies seem to be forming earlier and more rapidly than previously thought, defying predictions from our best theoretical models. Whitaker will introduce you to the capabilities of NASA’s new flagship mission and highlight a few of the most exciting and revolutionary results to date. Among these is the story of distinguishing the most distant galaxies from those enshrouded in thick veils of dust while teasing out hidden supermassive black holes at their hearts from the mix.

Katherine E. Whitaker is an observational extragalactic astronomer and Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is also Associate Faculty at the Cosmic Dawn Center in Copenhagen, Denmark and a 2019 Alfred P. Sloan fellow.

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Kate Follette, Amherst Colleg
Saturday, November 11
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Direct Imaging of Newborn Worlds: How We Do It and Why You Should Care

Of the thousands of planets discovered around other stars, why are the select few exoplanets discussed in this Speaker Series the most important despite their anomalous properties within the broader exoplanet population? These young stars are surrounded by disks of material that are almost certainly sites of active planet formation. Yet, the abundance of gas and dust in these systems complicates our ability to isolate light from planets embedded within them. Recent successes in this area have generated an explosion of interest, a healthy amount of debate, and many new questions about how best to interpret direct and indirect signatures of planet formation. Kate Follette will describe the recent results, challenges, and prospects of this burgeoning field in a non-technical manner.

Kate Follette is an observational astronomer working to understand planet formation and growth physics. She uses ground and space-based telescopes to find and characterize planets that are still being born (so-called "proto"-planets). This involves studying them directly and observing them indirectly through their interactions with the disks of material surrounding their young host stars ("circumstellar disks"). Her primarily undergraduate research group works to develop tools and techniques to accurately identify and interpret the signals of planets embedded in these disks. They use these measurements to understand where and when planets form in young systems and to test the predictions of various planet formation paradigms. She is also actively engaged in STEM education research. Her goal in that work is to understand whether introductory science courses for non-majors, especially intro astronomy, can be an effective tool for helping students improve their real-world math skills and lower barriers to entry to STEM fields.

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