High-energy transient signals are most often determined to be gamma-ray burst events, but the recently-launched Einstein Probe has expanded astronomers’ ability to quickly respond to similar signals occurring at X-ray wavelengths. Now, a multi-wavelength study of EP240408a concludes that while many of the signal’s characteristics might lead to the conclusion that it is a gamma-ray burst, the non-detection at radio wavelengths precludes that possibility.
Recent News
Students Contribute to New Understanding of ‘Twinkling’ Pulsars
The flexible observing setup of the Green Bank Observatory’s 20-meter telescope enabled frequent, long-duration observations of eight pulsars, spanning two and a half years for a student-driven study carried out by students in the Pulsar Science Collaboratory program.
Double the Disks, Double the Discovery: New Insights into Planet Formation in DF Tau
Tucked away in a star-forming region in the Taurus constellation, a pair of circling stars are displaying some unexpected differences in the circumstellar disks of dust and gas that surround them. A new study led by researchers at Lowell Observatory, combining data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Keck Observatory, has unveiled intriguing findings about planet formation in this binary star system, known as DF Tau, along with other systems in this region.
AUI Partners with NSBP to Convene 2018 National Society of Black Physicists Conference
Washington, DC: AUI has taken another significant step in its five year partnership by collaborating with the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) to secure a $350K award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The annual NSBP Conference convenes the largest scientific meeting of underrepresented minorities in the nation. This year’s conference will be held in Columbus, Ohio November 4 – 7. NSBP and AUI are currently soliciting additional sponsors to further support this endeavor and make a meaningful difference in the diversity of higher education and the STEM work force. “Sponsors not only make a positive impact on these future leaders of science and engineering,” explains Tim Spuck, AUI Director of Education and Public Engagement, “but they also enjoy the benefits of engaging with a true national asset, the pipeline of R&D talent.”
The primary goals of the Conference are to share cutting edge research, provide mentorship opportunities, increase participant access to recruiters, offer networking opportunities, and inform the broader physics community on best practices that will be gleaned during and after the meeting. While NSBP will lead conference program development and implementation, AUI will use its expertise to advise on conference planning and implementation as well as lead project/grant management and reporting. “NSBP is excited to partner with AUI as we continue to impact the physics community especially the increase of under-represented minorities,” as stated by Willie Rockward, President of NSBP. The NSBP program will draw from the organization of past meetings and rely on a Program Committee that was constituted for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Conferences, with the addition of AUI representatives. AUI President Adam Cohen describes AUI’s role by explaining, “We were chartered to enable cooperation among institutions in pursuit of research and education. For over 70 years we have managed complex situations such as convening talent to propose, build, and manage large scientific facilities, and we serve as ambassadors and catalysts for the future scientific facilities and workforce. In short, we make scientific breakthroughs possible.”
The NSBP strives to “increase the visibility of African American physicists and their contributions in the science community and the society while providing a network of partners and a centralized link to global opportunities and information as it relates to physics” and has received financial assistance in previous years from the NSF in support of this national conference.
Prospective conference sponsors are encouraged to reach NSBP President Willie Rockward at [email protected] or AUI Director of Education and Public Engagement Tim Spuck at [email protected].
Learn more about the upcoming NSBP meeting and how to register at http://www.cvent.com/d/6gqr3s.
Recent News
NSF VLA Contributes Crucial Puzzle Piece to ‘Peculiar’ High Energy Transient
High-energy transient signals are most often determined to be gamma-ray burst events, but the recently-launched Einstein Probe has expanded astronomers’ ability to quickly respond to similar signals occurring at X-ray wavelengths. Now, a multi-wavelength study of EP240408a concludes that while many of the signal’s characteristics might lead to the conclusion that it is a gamma-ray burst, the non-detection at radio wavelengths precludes that possibility.
Students Contribute to New Understanding of ‘Twinkling’ Pulsars
The flexible observing setup of the Green Bank Observatory’s 20-meter telescope enabled frequent, long-duration observations of eight pulsars, spanning two and a half years for a student-driven study carried out by students in the Pulsar Science Collaboratory program.
Double the Disks, Double the Discovery: New Insights into Planet Formation in DF Tau
Tucked away in a star-forming region in the Taurus constellation, a pair of circling stars are displaying some unexpected differences in the circumstellar disks of dust and gas that surround them. A new study led by researchers at Lowell Observatory, combining data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Keck Observatory, has unveiled intriguing findings about planet formation in this binary star system, known as DF Tau, along with other systems in this region.