The Sun is the closest star to Earth and hence provides a unique opportunity to study numerous stellar phenomena in detail unprecedented to other stars. One such phenomena, which is a longstanding mystery, is coronal heating of low mass stars. The solar corona contains plasma in excess of 1 MK at all times, strong concentrations

A fundamental understanding of planetary histories and characteristics requires an empirical connection between planet formation and evolved planets—a long-sought goal of astrophysics. This connection is now increasingly possible due to simultaneous revolutions in the observations of protoplanetary disks and exoplanet atmospheres. A key step towards relating these observations of different evolutionary stages is to characterize

MSE is a massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey facility that will replace the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope in the coming decade. This 12-meter telescope, with its 1.5 square degree field-of-view, will observe 18,000 – 20,000 astronomical targets in every pointing from 360 nm through H-band at low/moderate resolution (R=3,000/7,000) and and 360-1000nm at high (R=30,000). A Piezo actuated fiber

The advent of Gaia and of large photometric and spectroscopic surveys is changing the landscape of white dwarf studies. These incredible new data sets, together with improved models, have enabled tackling some unsolved mysteries concerning white dwarfs as a population, as well as discovering extremely peculiar objects that challenge our understanding of white dwarf formation and

The recent discovery of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos has opened a new window to the Universe. Identifying the sources of these neutrinos is the main focus of the emerging field of neutrino astronomy. Combining neutrino data and electromagnetic measurements in a multi-messenger approach may lead us to the sources of the neutrinos and help to answer

When we look up at the night sky, we see a static universe. However, observational surveys have revealed that our universe is dynamic, with a myriad of transient events. One of the most captivating contributors to our transient universe are energetic and fast explosions called short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs). Derived from the mergers of neutron

The Milky Way’s satellite dwarf galaxies are powerful probes of many important astrophysical processes. Their kinematics provide insights into galactic dynamics and the nature of dark matter, while their chemical compositions preserve a history of early galaxy formation and nucleosynthesis. Recently, all-sky astrometry from the Gaia satellite has enabled the discovery and characterization of dwarf

I will discuss line intensity mapping (LIM) and its applications for understanding cosmology and star-formation across cosmic time. I will focus on TIME, a mm-wavelength instrument designed to use LIM to probe the [CII] line at redshifts ~5-9 and the CO lines at redshifts ~0.5-2. The instrument is a grating spectrometer with transition edge sensors

In this presentation, we will explore how laboratory magnetized plasma can help us uncover key questions of space physics and space exploration, including spacecraft heat shield performance, energetic electron transport during geomagnetic storms, and origins of life on Earth. In each case, experiments were conducted in hot magnetized plasma at the DIII-D tokamak. First, we

Data-driven methods using a large variety of machine learning techniques have reshaped observational data analysis and data modelling in many fields of astrophysics in the last decade. However, despite their impressive performance, many of these methods struggle with issues of interpretability, selection biases, confounding factors, and ad hocness. In this talk, I will focus on

Since the dawn of x-ray astronomy 60 years ago, finding and studying active galaxies (accreting supermassive black holes) has been a prime area of study. I will briefly summarize the events of the last 5 decades focusing on my own research. Over the last decade a major change in our understanding of these objects have

The remarkable progress in cosmology over the last decades has been driven by the close interplay between theory and observations. Cosmological observations and galaxy dynamics have shown us that 84% of all matter in the universe is composed of dark matter, which is not accounted for by the Standard Model of particle physics. The properties

Astrophysical black holes are surrounded by accretion disks, jets, and coronae consisting of magnetized relativistic plasma. They produce observable high-energy radiation from nearby the event horizon and it is currently unclear how this emission is exactly produced. The radiation typically has a non-thermal component, implying a power-law distribution of emitting relativistic electrons. Magnetic reconnection and

To understand our origins, we must understand the role that interstellar dust plays in delivering heavy elements to planetary systems. This requires an understanding of the chemical composition, sizes and shapes of interstellar dust: astromineralogy. X-ray observations provide the most direct means for astromineralogy through the absorption signatures of dust imprinted in the spectra of

Millisecond pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars, emit narrow radio pulses that can be used for precision metrology, including the detection of low-frequency (nanohertz) gravitational waves (GWs) that alter propagation distances. The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) collaboration members have built a Galaxy-scale detector for GWs by precisely timing a large number of

For the last half-century, relativistic outflows accompanying the final collapse of massive stars have predominantly been detected via high-energy emission, as long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Yet, it has long been hypothesized that GRBs are the tip of the iceberg of relativistic stellar explosions, because the conditions required to produce and detect a GRB are contrived.

The detection of exoplanets and the detailed characterization of their interior core mass fractions, and atmospheric compositions has become a cornerstone of observational astronomy. So much so that the 2020 astrophysics decadal survey identified the construction of the recently named ‘Habitable Worlds Observatory’, a flagship to directly image ~25 Earth analog planets around nearby Sun-like

The Galactic atmosphere is as essential to setting the global conditions in the Milky Way as our planet’s atmosphere is for sustaining life on Earth. Dramatic, multiphase gas flows course through the disk-halo interface and into the more extended circumgalactic medium (CGM), redistributing the materials generated over billions of years of star formation. In this

 Pulsar timing arrays use observations of millisecond pulsars to detect nanohertz gravitational waves. The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) Collaboration has recently released their 15-year data set containing observations of 68 millisecond pulsars. These data contain evidence for Hellings-Downs correlations, which are characteristic of a gravitational wave background. In this talk, I

The Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a joint US-Italian mission that enables highly sensitive polarimetry observations of bright galactic and extragalactic sources within the 2-8 keV X-ray band. In this talk, I will focus on the IXPE findings since its launch in 2021, particularly the outcomes derived from X-Ray Binaries featuring stellar mass black

In this colloquium, we delve into the dynamic phenomena exhibited by magnetars, from their rapid and intense bursts to their potential role as multimessenger sources. We will explore the latest observational and theoretical advancements that allow us to unravel the mysteries of these cosmic powerhouses. The discussion will extend to the necessity of future missions

Jets are a ubiquitous phenomena in astrophysics —- spanning a remarkable range in size, velocity, and energy output. Of particular interest are the systems capable of generating relativistic ejecta — accelerating material to nearly the speed of light — as these systems generate physical conditions that cannot be reproduced in laboratories on Earth. In this talk I

The baryon content of the universe is tightly constrained by big-bang nucleosynthesis and the cosmic microwave background. However, in the local universe only about 10% of the baryons are found in galaxies. It is natural to look for the remaining baryons in the intergalactic medium (IGM), but only ~50% are found there. According to cosmological

Recent observations of gravitational waves from merging double-compact-object binaries have reignited an explosive interest in the formation and evolution of compact objects in binary-star systems. However, by the time a compact-object binary merges and produces the gravitational-wave signals we observe, much of the evolutionary history of the system is washed away. By combining binary population

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revolutionizing the field of exoplanet atmospheric science with its unprecedented stability and wavelength coverage. From revealing previously unexplored chemistry to signatures of 3-dimensional processes, exoplanet atmospheric observations — in particular from transiting exoplanets — are providing key insights to understand the interiors of these distant worlds. In this

More than 40 years ago, X-ray astrophysicists sought a way to improve the energy resolution of non-dispersive X-ray spectrometers for the Advanced X- Ray Astrophysics Facility (now Chandra). What emerged was something entirely new – the thermal detection of individual X-ray photons and the ability to measure their energies with extreme precision. Over the subsequent

I will discuss the cosmological origin of stellar and gaseous disks in the Milky Way (MW) and similar-mass galaxies, using the FIRE (Feedback in Realistic Environments) cosmological zoom-in simulations. First, I will discuss the formation history of the MW, addressing when the main progenitor of the MW likely formed and how this depends on the

I will discuss the cosmological origin of stellar and gaseous disks in the Milky Way (MW) and similar-mass galaxies, using the FIRE (Feedback in Realistic Environments) cosmological zoom-in simulations. First, I will discuss the formation history of the MW, addressing when the main progenitor of the MW likely formed and how this depends on the

New data from Gaia and SDSS have challenged the long-held conception of the Milky Way as an equilibrium system, instead painting a picture of a time-dependent Galaxy continually transformed by its cosmological environment. This new picture is as much opportunity as challenge, requiring the development of new approaches to study the dynamics of disequilibrium while

Cosmological and astrophysical measurements provide clear evidence for the existence of dark matter, and in recent years they have started to map dark matter over large volumes of the cosmos. At the same time, we still do not know much about the mass or interaction properties of the dark matter particle(s?).  I will discuss some

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is a future large UV/optical/NIR space observatory recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics. HWO will conduct transformative studies in general astrophysics by observing the universe with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution, providing new insights into cosmic structure, galaxy evolution, stellar astrophysics, and the life cycle of baryons.

The standard cold dark matter plus cosmological constant model predicts that galaxies form within dark-matter haloes, and that low-mass galaxies are more dark-matter dominated than massive ones. The unexpected discovery of two low-mass galaxies lacking dark matter immediately provoked concerns about the standard cosmology and ignited explorations of alternatives, including self-interacting dark matter and modified

“Nadia is an expert in supermassive black holes. She studies how they shape and influence the galaxies that host them, how they launch large galactic-scale winds, how they merge and how they vary in time.” – Anna-Christina Eilers James Webb Space Telescope breakthroughs in galaxy formation For years, we have been eagerly anticipating the promising

“Liam is an Assistant Professor at Harvard, working in the field of fast radio bursts (FRB), which he studies by developing large radio facilities and innovative techniques based on artificial intelligence. Liam is a pioneer in using FRBs as astrophysical and cosmological probes such as through gravitational lensing.” – Daniele Michilli Early results and grand

“Professor Laura Newburgh is an experimental cosmologist at Yale University. Her lab focuses on 21cm surveys of the large-scale structure of the universe, such as CHIME and HIRAX, and ground-based cosmic microwave background telescopes, such as ACT and the Simon’s Observatory. Through these experiments, Prof. Newburgh investigates fundamental physics, from dark energy to neutrino mass.”

“Greg Bryan chairs the Department of Astronomy at Columbia University. The paper on X-ray clusters that grew out of his PhD thesis with Michael Norman has over 2000 citations. A quarter century ago he was a Hubble Fellow here at MIT. The IMAX film ‘Cosmic Voyage’, for which he did visualizations, was nominated for an

“Professor Smadar Naoz, a distinguished theoretical astrophysicist at the University of California, Los Angeles, conducts pioneering research across a broad spectrum of dynamical phenomena. Her work spans cosmology, stellar astrophysics, extrasolar planets, and solar system science. Renowned for her expertise in three-body interactions, Professor Naoz has demonstrated that these interactions can lead to the formation

“Munazza Alam is an Assistant Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Her research focuses on characterizing the atmospheres of exoplanets. Munazza uses HST, JWST, and large ground-based telescopes to measure the compositions of Jupiters to super-Earths to understand their origins and evolution.” – Andrew Vanderburg Characterizing the atmospheres of Jupiters to super-earths Time-series transit

“Phil Hopkins is a professor of astrophysics at CalTech, and one of the main PIs of the FIRE collaboration. he is probably one of the most talented people in the field (or the planet honestly) with numerical codes and high-performance computing.” – Lina Necib Connecting stars, galaxies, and supermassive black holes from AU to megaparsecs

“Josh Peek is the head of the data science mission office at Space Telescope Science Institute. He is an amazing and enthusiastic speaker, especially about machine learning.” – Lina Necib Many of our questions in astronomy boil down to “how did it get to be this way?”. Since recombination and the dawn of structure, diffuse

“Elisabeth Newton is a professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth studying the physics of stars and their planets. Elisabeth’s work focuses on the activity and evolution of M-dwarf stars and the impacts of the stars on their orbiting planets. Prior to joining Dartmouth, Elisabeth was formerly a postdoc at MKI.” – Andrew Vanderburg A

“Professor Dillon Brout is a cosmologist at Boston University, specializing in tying together cosmological distance and velocity measurements to the fundamental properties of the universe such as dark matter and dark energy. He has a leading role in many experiments such as SHOES, Pantheon+, DES, DESI, and DECAT.” – Lina Necib Experimental status of the