Visitor information

Speaker: Dr. Brett McGuire (National Radio Astronomy Observatory & Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian)
Website: https://www.cv.nrao.edu/~bmcguire/

Talk title: New Frontiers in Cosmic Carbon

Talk abstract:
Molecular clouds of gas and dust pervade our galaxy, and are the birthplaces of stars and planets. The temperature, density, and radiation conditions inside these clouds make them unique chemical laboratories for studying both fundamental reactions and the evolution of the molecular complexity that seeds primitive planets. We have recently discovered a new regime of unexpected low-temperature aromatic chemistry in these sources that has far-reaching implications on the lifecycle of carbon in the universe. These detections are demanding new analysis techniques to extract the maximum information content from increasingly large and complex datasets both observationally and in the laboratory. Here, I will discuss novel applications of signal processing and analysis in both arenas. Observationally, we are using Bayesian approaches combined with matched filtering techniques, while in the laboratory, we are conducting reaction screening analyses to try to understand the content and evolution of this new carbon chemistry in space. I will describe the results of our new observational analysis techniques, as well as outline several new methods we have developed for rapidly screening complex chemical mixtures in the laboratory using pump-probe rotational spectroscopy in a (semi-)automated fashion to enable new molecular discovery.

Office: G6, 207

Host: Dr. Maria Drozdovskaya (maria.drozdovskaya"at"csh.unibe.ch)

  Schedule

Fill out this table in order to set up a meeting with our CSH Colloquium Speaker.
Please include your name, time, and the room, in which you would like to meet.
You may sign up for two consecutive slots if time allows.
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Wednesday, February 12th, 2020
13.00: greeting of the visitor by the host
14.15–15:15: CSH Colloquium (Dr. Brett McGuire) B5 (ExWi)
15.15–16.00: after-talk coffee Wandelhalle (ExWi)
16.00–17.00:
17.00–18.00:
Thursday, February 13th, 2020
09.00–10.00:
10.00–11.00: Beatrice Kulterer (G6, 207)
11.00–12.00: Susanne Wampfler (G6, 018)
12.15–13.15: CSH Seminar (Dr. Thurid Mannel) -108 (G6)
13.30–14.30: Niels Ligterink
14.30–15:30: Niels Ligterink
15.30–16.30: Niels Ligterink
16.30–17.30: Niels Ligterink
18.00: departure by foot for the dinner restaurant
Friday, February 14th, 2020
09.00–10.00:
10.00–11.00:
11.00–12.00:
12.00–13.00:
13.00–14.00:
14.00–15:00: Daniel Angerhausen 015 (G6)
15.00–16.00:
16.00–17.00:
17.00–18.00:

Dinner plans: Thursday, 18:30 (Büner, participants: Brett, Daniel A., Beatrice, Susanne, Niels, Maria) - please contact the host if you would like to join the dinner)