Research Seminars @ Illinois

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Tailored for undergraduate researchers, this calendar is a curated list of research seminars at the University of Illinois. Explore the diverse world of research and expand your knowledge through engaging sessions designed to inspire and enlighten.

To have your events added or removed from this calendar, please contact OUR at ugresearch@illinois.edu

Astrophysics, Gravitation and Cosmology Seminar - Michael Zevin (Adler Planetarium) "Deciphering the Biography of Massive Stars: Compact Object Mergers as a Rosetta Stone"

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
Department of Physics
Location
Loomis Lab 464
Date
Jan 24, 2024   12:00 pm  
Speaker
Michael Zevin
Contact
Deanna Frye
E-Mail
ddebord@illinois.edu
Views
86
Originating Calendar
Physics - Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar

Observations of compact object mergers with gravitational waves help to reveal vital information about their progenitor stellar systems, such as the types of galactic environments they were born in, the intricacies of stellar evolution that persisted throughout their lives, and the physics of the supernovae that marked their deaths. In this talk, I will highlight a number of ways that the deluge of gravitational-wave observations helps to elucidate the environments where compact binaries merge and the veiled physical processes that embed binary stellar evolution. In particular, I will discuss how the diversity of compact object merger properties hint at multiple prominent formation channels contributing to the full population, the astrophysical implications of detecting systems with identifiable orbital eccentricity, and how the host demographics of both gamma-ray bursts and multimessenger events can help to unveil crucial aspects detailing the late phases of massive-star binary evolution. 

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