NPAC (Nuclear/Particle/Astro/Cosmo) Forums |
Organized by: Prof. Lu Lu
Events During the Week of March 17th through March 24th, 2019
Monday, March 18th, 2019
- Astronomy Science Lunch (Pizza served at 12, talk starts at 12:15)
- From Cosmology to Galaxy Evolution and Star Formation with Line Intensity Mapping
- Time: 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
- Place: 4421 Sterling Hall
- Speaker: Adam Beardsley, Arizona State University
- Abstract: Line Intensity Mapping (LIM) is an emerging observational technique with applications ranging from cosmology and fundamental physics to astrophysical phenomena that drive galaxy evolution and star formation. By sacrificing resolution in favor of wide-field integrated measurements, LIM experiments are sensitive to the aggregate contributions of sources of all magnitudes and diffuse structures. Probing narrow atomic and molecular transitions allow for three dimensional measurements which will unlock many orders of magnitude more modes compared to those available from the Cosmic Microwave Background. The enormous observational volume probed (~80% of thee observable universe) will yield unprecedented insights into early-Universe inflation, the interactions between galaxies and their environment during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), and the cosmic history of star formation.
I will discuss the current and planned experiments that will fulfill the promise of LIM, with a focus on high redshift 21cm experiments to probe the EoR. Last year the EDGES collaboration made a first tentative detection of a 21cm absorption profile from the Cosmic Dawn, and its unexpected depth shook loose myriad theories related to dark matter-baryon interactions and excess radio background. This watershed of explanations foreshadows the excitement to come as LIM experiments begin to push the frontiers of cosmology and astrophysics. - Host: Snezana Stanimirovic & Peter Timbie
Tuesday, March 19th, 2019
- No events scheduled
Wednesday, March 20th, 2019
- No events scheduled
Thursday, March 21st, 2019
- The Astrophysical Neutrino Flavor Composition With Cosmic Tau Neutrinos
- Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Place: 5280 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Juliana Stachurska, DESY
- Abstract: The tau neutrino is the Standard Model particle with the fewest identified events. Most tau-neutrino interactions cannot be distinguished from other flavor neutrino interactions. This is due to the large mass of the tau, which causes the production threshold to open up at a few GeV, and the prompt tau decay. The study of astrophysical neutrinos provides important clues about cosmic particle accelerators. In particular, the tau neutrino fraction at Earth is directly translatable to the source flavor composition and can constrain source production mechanisms. For neutrinos of energies greater than ~100 TeV, IceCube becomes sensitive to the identification of tau-neutrino charged current interaction on an event-by-event basis via the double bang channel. This channel consists two energy depositions one from the tau production and the other from the tau decay. With no significant tau neutrino production expected at the source, IceCube is the first experiment able to observe neutrino oscillations over cosmological baselines. I will present and discuss recent measurements of the astrophysical flavor composition.
- Host: Carlos Argüelles
Friday, March 22nd, 2019
- No events scheduled