astro[sound]bites

Episode 36: A Dance with Dark Matter

How can astronomers study something that nobody has ever seen? In this episode, we switch to the dark side to shine a light on one of the biggest questions in all of astrophysics: the nature of dark matter. Malena teaches us how dark matter helps galaxy clusters glow up, and Will takes a journey to the center of the Earth to find prehistoric prints from a big WIMP. Plus, Alex brings us our most romantic space sound yet. 

 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2019/02/12

https://astrobites.org/2018/06/19

 

Space sound: https://www.system-sounds.com/heartbeat-stars/

Credits: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

Credit: SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo & A. Santaguida). Data recorded by Kepler and accessed from MAST.

Episode 35: The Road Less Traveled

In this Beyond episode, we veer off the traditional path to a PhD with three interviews from early-career astronomers who did things a little bit differently. 

Tim Holt shares his transitions from zoology to teacher and, finally, to astronomer. Ashley Walker describes how perseverance helped her to realize her dream as Chicago State University’s very first astrochemistry major. Natalia Guerrero paints a story of her journey leaving a graduate program, taking a leadership role on the TESS team, and reentering academia more inspired than ever. 

 

Hear all about Tim’s research in Episode 15

Listen to Ashley discuss her research in Episode 16

Learn about Natalia’s research and art at https://www.nataliaguerreroart.com/

 

Space sound: youtu.be/t7rMtVctvag. Credits: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

Episode 34: Where Classifications Crumble

You’ve heard about planets, stars, galaxies, and other “types” of astronomical objects on the show -- but what about the objects that defy our classification schemes? Will discusses how a mysterious system of massive planets(?) came to be, Alex puts on his thinking cap and tells us about the Universe’s biggest hat, and we top it all off with a discussion of the benefits and shortcomings of classifications in astronomy.

 

Astrobites: 

astrobites.org/2021/02/05 

astrobites.org/2020/03/07

 

Classifying the Cosmos: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030103798

Book review of Classifying the Cosmos: https://astrobites.org/2019/11/21/book-review-classifying-the-cosmos/

 

System Sounds: https://www.system-sounds.com/

Space sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHNeDlZp-Uk&t=3s

Episode 33: Beyond A[S]B -- Scintillating Sounds of Science

Do we have to explore astronomy data with our eyes? What if we used our ears?  In this episode, we explore these and other questions in the growing field of sonification. Find out what an interstellar pancake sounds like, discover the piano sonatas of a Martian atmosphere and an unusual stellar explosion, and learn how astronomer Garry Foran at Swinburne University, despite a visual impairment, sees deeper into space than most to study the properties of high-redshift star-forming galaxies. Plus, we announce our sonification contest! We can’t wait to hear what you come up with. Click the link below for details and to submit your audio piece.

 

Links:

Astro[sound]bites Sonification Contest: astrosoundbites.com/sonification-competition-2021

Data from Sonifications:

Alex: www.wis-tns.org/object/2005bf

Malena: www.nature.com/articles/nature25020 

Will: (pre-print of my accepted paper: http://williamrsaunders.com/Saunders_et_al_2021.pdf)

Benefits of Sonification: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019IAUS..339..251C/abstract

StarSound: https://www.jeffreyhannam.com/starsound

 

Astronify: https://astronify.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

Astronify email: astronify@stsci.edu 

TwoTone: https://twotone.io/

miditime: github.com/cirlabs/miditime

Episode 32: Highlights of Undergraduate Research

In this episode we zip through a flurry of exciting undergraduate research Astrobites. Malena weaves a tale of solar tornadoes and cometary corkscrews, Alex spins a yarn of spiders and snowy telescopes, and Will answers the age-old question of nature versus nurture...for stars. We offer some of our favorite astronomy resources, provide tips on doing a literature search, and lend advice on balancing coursework and research. 

 

Submit your own research as an undergraduate Astrobite: 

astrobites.org/about/undergraduate-research-abstract-submission/

 

All undergraduate Astrobites: 

astrobites.org/category/undergraduate-research/

 

Astrobites featured on the show: 

astrobites.org/2018/11/28/two-solar-tornadoes-observed-with-iris/

astrobites.org/2020/09/07/ur-seek-spider-pulsars-jerk-search/

astrobites.org/2020/11/10/ur-cluster-nature-nurture/

astrobites.org/2020/12/10/investigation-of-coma-morphology/

astrobites.org/2020/06/18/pointing-the-green-bank-telescope/

 

Some of our favorite astronomy resources: 

Python for Astronomers: prappleizer.github.io/

Canadian Astronomy Centre List of Upcoming Meetings:

cadc-ccda.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/en/meetings/

ADS modern: ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/

ADS classic (Will’s favorite): ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/classic-form/

 

Space sound: https://youtu.be/Mg7whxKFQsk

Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

Episode 31: Hypervelocity Heavens

Episode 31: Hypervelocity Heavens 

 

Today we pump the gas to get up to speed on the hypervelocity objects of our universe. Alex divulges how hypervelocity stars tell us about their black hole origins, Will discusses a beehive of stars marching to the tune of its own drummer, and Malena shares plans for our first shot at reaching another stellar system.

 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2020/03/25   

https://astrobites.org/2021/02/16

https://astrobites.org/2021/02/02

 

Space Sound: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-mars-perseverance-rover-provides-front-row-seat-to-landing-first-audio

Episode 30: Carnivorous Cosmos

It’s a harsh world out there, as the gang learns by trekking out to observe accretion in the wild. Will peers through his simulation binoculars to see whether tidal disruption events can really satisfy a hungry black hole, and Malena grabs her spectroscopic scalpel to pick apart a white dwarf’s last meal. Plus, we learn a few life lessons from planetesimals.

 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2021/01/07

https://astrobites.org/2020/07/07

 

Astrobites Advisors Conference: https://astrobites.org/advising-webinar-2021/

Space sound: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/audio/

Rainforest Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search

Episode 29: Walking on Sunshine

In this episode, we’re blown back and blown away by the solar wind. Will offers a historical overview of how Eugene Parker discovered the solar wind without running a single experiment. Malena covers early results and next steps for the eponymous and incredibly hot Parker Solar Probe, as it ~enters the Sun~. Postdoc Chris Spalding also discusses Mercury’s (literally) impactful and (solar) windy childhood.

 

Astrobites:

astrobites.org/2020/02/13/visiting-the-sun/

astrobites.org/2020/09/03/parker-solar-wind-2/

 

Original solar wind paper: 

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1958ApJ...128..664P/abstract

 

Chris’ personal website: 

christopherspalding.net

 

Space sound: 

https://www.system-sounds.com/exoplanets4k/

Episode 28: Blink and You'll Miss It

We were going to write show notes, but it’s been a little while since we recorded and we forgot what we talked about. I guess you could call our memory…. transient!

In this episode we discuss some of the quickest, most high-energy astrophysical phenomena in the Universe. Will describes a possible explanation for some of the speediest and most mysterious flashes of energy ever detected, while Alex describes a bizarre and brilliant stellar explosion.

 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2019/03/05

https://astrobites.org/2020/12/29

 

More on FRBs with the SKA:

https://astrobites.org/2020/08/27

 

Space Sound:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/GLAST/2012/06/21/post_1340301006610/

Episode 27: Where the Sidewalk Bends

We’re starting off the new year right by getting ahead of the curve! In this topsy-turvy episode, we tackle the stretching and curving of non-Euclidean geometry -- where it came from, why it teaches us about black holes and the shape of the universe, and how conformal diagrams help us wrap our minds (and our spacetime) around it all. Alex amazes with ascending audio, Will gives the all-clear to keep eating Pringles and Malena explains how theorists can help save trees. 

 

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2020/12/03

https://astrobites.org/2020/11/23

 

Penrose’s Nobel Prize: https://astrobites.org/2020/10/15

Space sound: https://soundcloud.com/nasa/quake-sol-173