Agenda:
7:00 - 7:15 General Meeting & Announcements
7:15 - 7:30 Short topic presentation by a club member
7:30 - 7:45 Refreshment break
7:45 - Public Presentation
Speaker: Dr. Jessica li
Title: UV Emissions Surrounding Galaxies
Abstract:
The circumgalactic medium (CGM) and intergalactic medium (IGM), the tenuous gas surrounding galaxies represent a significant portion of matter in the universe as indicated by both theoretical and observational studies. This faint and diffuse gas is not well studied since it is very challenging to observe. Studying the CGM is essential for understanding astrophysical principles that govern the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies throughout the universe. It is believed to be the reservoir of gas and material that is both the source and regulator of star-forming fuel, controlling the exchange between the intergalactic medium (IGM) between galaxies and interstellar medium (ISM) within galaxies. We advance our understanding of these processes through ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopic CGM emission line observations in high redshift galaxies in addition to instrumentation work for balloon-borne and space telescopes that target low redshift galaxies. I present four distinct but interrelated projects that combine observational astronomy, instrument building, and technology development. This includes quasar observations from the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager (PCWI), instrument work on FIREBall-2 (Faint Intergalactic-medium Redshifted Balloon) telescope and Aspera SmallSat mission, and technology development of UV reflective gratings.
About the Speaker:
Jess received her B.Eng. with a triple major in physics, astronomy, and mechanical engineering in 2015, and her M.S. in mechanical engineering in 2016 from Stony Brook University. At Brookhaven National Laboratory, she worked as a mechanical design engineer for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, and the Short Baseline Near Detector. Jess graduated with a Ph.D. in Physics and worked on a combination of UV astrophysics and instrumentation. Her thesis projects included: 1) analyzing Palomar Cosmic Web Imager data to understand the circumgalactic medium around quasars, 2) developing the Faint Intergalactic Medium Redshifted Balloon Telescope calibration system, 3) working on the Aspera SmallSat mission's grating characterization testing, and 4) measuring novel small-scale gratings manufactured with electron beam lithography for technology development in UV spectroscopy (collaboration with the Unive2rsity of Iowa). She is continuing to work in UV astrophysics and instrumentation here as a postdoc with Keri Hoadley.
Research Interests:
UV astrophysics and UV instrumentation.