astro[sound]bites

Episode 101: Weather Woes

Episode 101: Weather Woes

 

In this episode, we take a dive into weather phenomena in space. Shashank, Cormac and Lucia discuss what the terms hot and cold mean in space and the temperature ranges we tend to see outside the Solar System and the galaxy. Then, Cormac tells us about the climate on Venus, and Lucia delves into cold fronts between galaxies. Finally, we round off with some hot takes about the most underrated parts of the electromagnetic spectrum in astrophysics!

 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2024/12/24/its-getting-hot-in-here-so-take-off-all-your-h2o/

https://astrobites.org/2024/11/11/cold-front-outside/

 

Space sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYXAdXf5gWU

Episode 100: Be There or Be Ten Squared

Astrobites turns 100! For our ten squared-th episode we take a tour of all of the extremes of astrophysics: the heaviest and the lightest, the fastest and the slowest, the brightest and dimmest. In doing so, Shashank covers an astrobite on itty bitty particles that pack a big punch, Lucia talks about medium-ish galaxies and their black hole hearts, and Cormac panics about the danger of violent kilonovae. To help us celebrate, we meet up with some old friends to discuss dark matter, exoplanets, and how ridiculously long a Ph.D. takes. 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2024/06/06/agns-quenching-dwarf-galaxies/

https://astrobites.org/2013/06/04/cosmic-rays-from-the-telescope-array/

https://astrobites.org/2023/11/20/kilonova-safety/

https://astrobites.org/2018/08/16/do_the_milky_ways_stellar_streams_have_that_fuzzy_dark_matter_feeling/

https://astrobites.org/2022/11/28/evaporating-exoplanet/

Space sound:

http://soundcloud.com/alexhp-1/supernova-sonata

MIT study on children thinking logarithmically:

https://news.mit.edu/2012/thinking-logarithmically-1005#:~:text=Cognitive%20scientists%20theorize%20that%20that's,is%2031%2C%20or%203.

Episode 99: The Grand Finale

Danger - explosive! This week’s episode is all about supernovae. These star-ripping, neutrino spewing explosions are important to various fields of astrophysics. Cormac, Cole, and Lucia discuss just when stars actually go supernova. And also, whether we can use gravitational waves to tell which compact object is left behind. Everybody gets to share their favourite supernova science and (as we all love to do) to complain about how much astronomers love old, inconsistent nomenclature. Enjoy!  

• Intro questions: Powering a Supernova https://astrobites.org/2024/10/04/how-to-power-supernovae/
• The explodability criterion: How to make a star go supernova https://astrobites.org/2024/09/13/explodability-criterion/
• Can we perform a Supernova Autopsy Via Gravitational Waves? https://astrobites.org/2024/10/08/gwautopsy/

Space Sound: https://youtu.be/S-saaAyaW0c

Episode 98: When PIGS Fly

In this episode, Cormac, Shashank and Cole dig deep into Galactic Archaeology as we look into the past of our Milky Way. Cole brings us a catastrophic computational collision, while Shashank gives us the low-down on low-metallicity, and we see just how the (Gaia) sausage gets made. We also discuss the rights, wrongs and funnies of Astronomers trying to name things, and the diverse design philosophies behind some of our favourite observational facilities.

Astrobites: 

 

https://astrobites.org/2023/07/27/colossal_collisions_and_the_milky_way/

 

https://astrobites.org/2024/08/03/pigs-sagittarius/

 

Space sound:

 

https://www.aip.de/en/news/exploring-the-history-of-the-early-milky-way-with-sound/

 

DOOFAS Acronyms website:

 

https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~gpetitpas/Links/Astroacro.html

Episode 97: Cosmic Time Machines

In this episode, Shashank, Cole and Lucia bend time in their debut podcast together as we talk about the various ways astronomy is like time travel. Lucia gives us a peek into the past with the storied supernova Cas A, while Cole brings us on a nostalgic quest into gravitational wave memory. We hope you enjoy time traveling with us!

 

Astrobites: 

 

https://astrobites.org/2024/08/26/cas_a_jwst/

 

https://astrobites.org/2024/08/28/gwmem/

 

Space sound:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9vGpkQurfc

JWST Cas A images:

 

https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/149/01HGGZ4TPD8XFNPCBTZ2QYM0ZM

 

https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/121/01GWQBBY77MHGFV3M3N63KDCEJ

Episode 96: kiErsten’s Exoplanetary Elemental Exit Episode

This episode marks Kiersten’s last astro[sound]bites episode (and also side note – we’re posting this on her birthday!). To recognize Kiersten for her incredible time as a co-host, we take a journey through her academic paper trail by discussing her papers on how magma and metallicities affect how we think about exoplanetary formation and observations. Then we take a deep dive into Kiersten’s time as a co-host and graduate student including her stance on “publish or perish” and what she’s most excited about starting her NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowship this fall.

 

Kiersten’s Papers: 

1. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2307.13726
2. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2407.13821

Episode 95: IMPReSsive Research

In this week's episode, we take you on a two-part journey to Europe! First, Lucia and Cormac guide you through the differences of graduate programs in Europe and the US. Then, we jump into a series of mini-interviews with fellow PhD students about their research. We journey through a wide range of topics, including black holes big and smalls, the powerful winds of massive stars, and much more. If you would like to learn more about any of these topics, check out the links below! The mini-interviews were conducted as part of the IMPRS-Astro Hackathon, an unconference organised by Cormac and a few colleges, which brought together students from Heidelberg and Munich.

IMPRS-Astro Hackathon
https://imprs-astro-hackathon.de/

Statistics on physics students in Germany (unfortunately in German)
https://www.dpg-physik.de/veroeffentlichungen/magazine-und-online-angebote/pj/studierendenstatistiken

Mini-Interviews

The circumgalactic medium - Joanne's personal website
https://tanofspace.github.io/

Past episodes relating to topics that came up in the mini-interviews

Episode 93: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Primordial Black Hole Machiney
https://astrosoundbites.com/2024/06/20/episode-93-itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-primordial-black-hole-machineyepisode-92-5-the-ship-of-3-seus/

Episode 72: A Trip to the Optometrist
https://astrosoundbites.com/2023/04/15/episode-72-a-trip-to-the-optometrist/

Episode 71: Galaxies Say Halo
https://astrosoundbites.com/2023/03/26/episode-70-astronomy-10-years-into-the-future-part-ii-2/

Episode 70: Astronomy 10 Years into the Future Part II
https://astrosoundbites.com/2023/03/04/episode-70-astronomy-10-years-into-the-future-part-ii/

Episode 49: A Fine Dining Experience
https://astrosoundbites.com/2022/01/30/episode-49-a-fine-dining-experience/

Episode 3: 6 Unbelievable Facts about Black Holes
https://astrosoundbites.com/2019/12/07/episode-3-6-unbelievable-facts-about-black-holes/

Credit for the jingle (transition to the mini-interviews): SergeQuadrado on freesound.org
https://freesound.org/people/SergeQuadrado/sounds/455606/

Episode 94: The Floor Is Lava!

Was the floor in your childhood home ever lava? If so, you may have been training to visit these spicy magma-filled exoplanets! In this episode, we're turning up the heat and investigating what makes magma/lava so important for potential extraterrestrial life. Sabrina takes us to the poster child of strange lava worlds and finally gives exoplanteers an answer to the long debate of whether it has an atmosphere or if its star blew it away. Then, Cormac tells us all about how water can play well with magma. Kiersten is convinced that these lava worlds might just be the perfect place for a hot summer vacation.

 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2024/06/19/template-post-17/

https://astrobites.org/2023/09/21/magma-oceans-and-surface-water/

 

Kiersten’s paper: 

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/acea85/pdf

 

Space sound:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3clDSXN26N9lQtCwJgMb2tR/sonification

 

Episode 93: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Primordial Black Hole Machiney

In this week’s episode, we take a look at the hottest trend in dark matter candidates - Primordial Black Holes. They’re like black holes, only smaller (in some cases)! Join us as we see what all the fuss is about. Kiersten shares a story of a black hole playing video games inside a star and glitching out of the mainframe, while Shashank makes his a[s]b debut with an explosive transient conundrum that *might* explain the mystery of dark matter once and for all. We round off with a discussion about our favourite pet dark matter theories and the merits of direct experimental searches.

Astrobites:
https://astrobites.org/2024/05/29/noclip-on-simulated-primordial-black-holes-could-dance-through-sun-like-stars/

https://astrobites.org/2024/05/31/are-pbhs-detonating-white-dwarfs/

Astrobite Paper with Pretty Orbits: 
https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08113

Space Sound:
https://supernova.eso.org/news/releases/es2105/

Episode 92.5: The Ship of 3-seus

We've reached a pivotal moment for astro[sound]bites: the podcast era where each of the original co-hosts has been replaced. Just like the Ship of Theseus, we ask: Is astro[sound]bites still the same show, even though all its original components have been replaced? We believe it is, and we’re excited about its continued evolution.

In this episode, we’re thrilled to introduce the three new astro[sound]bites co-hosts: Shashank, Cole, and Lucia. They'll be joining us in the next few months, and we’ll discuss what each is excited about for the future of the show. Stay tuned for an exciting new chapter as the new co-hosts take over steering the ship!