astro
catdynamics | January 19, 2012So, you want to be an astrophysicist? You're an undergraduate, doing astronomy or physics (or possibly engineering, mathematics or computer science, or something), should you go to grad school?
Another lightly reworked blast from the blog past
see also Rob's recent take at Galactic Interactions
Why is there even a question?
Well, it is several years of your life, earning minimal pay, doing some grind work, including classes (1-2 years at most institutions) and exams (most places have some "admission to candidacy" hoop), with interesting but uncertain career prospects.
And you have to do…
catdynamics | January 19, 2012The 2012 Crafoord Prizes in Astronomy and Mathematics were announced this morning.
Crafoord Prize 2012 Announcement
In Astronomy, Prof. Andrea Ghez, UCLA won for her patient and groundbreaking work on stellar dynamics in the core of the Milky Way and the robust mass measurement of the central black hole. Dr Genzel, MPIE, shared the prize for independent research on the same problem.
Stellar Orbits Around the Central Black Hole in the Milky Way (from Ghez et al)
Andrea's DeWolf lecture at ACP in 2010 (full 1 hour video from GrassRootsTV)
The Crafoord Prize, awarded by the Swedish Academy,…
catdynamics | January 16, 2012So, now you're at university, and you're thinking about heading for grad school ...
More re-runs from Ye Olde Blogge
The following is horribly UScentric, 'cause that's where I am right now.
The general principles are broadly applicable, the actual getting into grad school procedure bit in future post will be both US and THEM centric.
Now what?
Caveat: these numbers are somewhat dated, but the shift is not large enough yet for me to bother re-searching them.
Each cohort in the US is about 4+ million people, about 4000 of those major in physics. Since participation in the further education in…
catdynamics | January 12, 2012You are at university.
Do you like stars, and stuff?
Another rehashed blast from the past
Should you do astronomy as an undergrad? (the following is in part shamelessly cribbed from a colleague's previous freshman seminar for our majors):
Do you like stars and stuff?
If not, you probably should look for an alternative to astronomy, on the general principle that at this stage of life you should at least try to do things you actually like.
If you do, good for you. Now, do you have the aptitude?
Professional astrophysics/astronomy is not about looking at stars per se (except at occasional…
catdynamics | January 12, 2012BBC reports Oxford Astronomy Prof Steven Rawlings found dead
"A 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. "
Oxford Mail has more details and updates.
Steve Rawlings
Update: may be coroner's inquest, not murder inquiry - Rawlings' widow says she thinks Dr Sivia (man initially held) is not guilty of murder and death was an accident.
catdynamics | January 11, 2012What should a high school student do to get on a track to become an astrophysicist?
Reworked from an oldie.
Yeah, it is cheap blogging, but moderately timely and fills space...
So, you're in high school wondering what to do with yourself, and you think: "hey, I could be an astrophysicist!"
So, what should YOU do, wanting to get into a good university and an astro/physics major?
1) Take all the math that is offered, and do well in it.
The limiting factor for most students wanting to do astronomy or astrophysics is poor math preparation in school. You need to get as far and as fast in calculus…
catdynamics | January 6, 2012Some blogosphere buzz on SETI having found candidate signals during a search of Kepler candidate exoplanets, are NOT true.
Kepler-SETI interference
there is narrow band signal in some of the data, but it is terrestrial interference.
Nothing to see here.
catdynamics | December 21, 2011Books, of course, but which books...?
One of these "be careful what you wish for" things, is that I now get a lot of requests to review books (and DVDs and online games etc), just as I reach the stage of my life where I spend most of my time doing reading reformatting paperwork instead of reading fun new things... which is a shame, because the books I get sent are pretty much generally exactly those I spent most of my very limited disposable income on when I was younger...
One day soon I'll catch up on the backlog.
In the meantime, here are three good looking physics books that any good…
catdynamics | December 20, 2011Theorists think of observations and data a bit like businesses think of science and technology: it happens, apparently effortlessly, and is available for free as needed or on demand.
catdynamics | December 19, 2011This year I noted an anomaly in one of my class assignments...
In my class, that just finished, as part of some of the short writing assignments, I ask the students to look at past, current and future space science missions, NASA or ESA, and to describe one of each to me : 1-2 pages at a level aimed at a science educated audience.
I usually get a nice set of diverse descriptions as people choose their favourites, but this year, for the future mission assignments, there was something strange.
About two thirds of the students chose NuSTAR for their description.
Now, NuSTAR is a nice little…
catdynamics | December 16, 2011Prof Fred Rasio NU named ApJL Editor
Congratulations Fred!
Chris Sneden should receive our profuse thanks, he always handled my papers with supreme patience, speed and courtesy, and was actively helpful in providing advise and sliding through some of our more amusing speculative missives.
Fred, I am certain, will continue that great tradition.
catdynamics | December 5, 2011
So, what are the hot, must have Astro Apps?
Here are my current micropayment and (guilt) free astro related Apps, what other spontaneous little thrills ought we be hoping for Santa to bring us?
Strictly professional applications, of course, well, that and pretty pics:
Here is what I got right now:
arXview - I like Dave Bacon's implementation of an arXiv viewer
NASA
HubbleZoom
3D Sun - gorgeous!
Planets
Space Images
Spitzer
Exoplanet
TimeTree (astrobio, really it is!)
Swift
CosmoCalc
I also consider FlightPro, Travelocity, GoogleEarth and WolframAlpha essentials for work.
And,…
catdynamics | December 2, 2011This is an old favourite. re-presented here to lay the ground for the great return to the phys ed education debate...
Several years ago, a major organ of our professional society raised a troubling issue: namely whether the three major subfields were being taught in the proper order at the high school level .
A furor arose in the letter pages, debating the merits endlessly. Which first, which last? (also here).
Now, I think we can all agree on the basics - there are not enough resources to teach all subfields each year of high school, and I am told scheduling is also impossible if people are…
catdynamics | November 27, 2011I've been a naughty blogger, I went off to the Mars Surveyor launch, and didn't blog about it, yet.
In no small part because I forgot to bring a USB cable.
But, honestly, mpostly because I wanted to just revel in the moment.
(Ok, I tweeted and fb'd a bit).
I'll get back to MSL, in the meantime I need to core dump some random links I've been meaning to ponder:
...does blogging have a wider role to play in the scientific discourse? - Yes.
Can the quantum state be interpreted statistically? - No.
Is The Reason Why Science Majors Change Their Minds That It Is Just So Darn Hard? - Yes and No.
Hm.…
catdynamics | November 22, 2011Matthew Bailes has another excellent entry in the "State of Science" series of public conversations on science:
Selling Science: The Lure of the Dark Side
catdynamics | November 16, 2011For many years now, NASA has run a Graduate Student Researcher Program, offering a number of fellowships each year, typically lasting for three year terms.
These are the Future Rocket Scientists of America.
They are now, apparently, cut.
The GSRP takes a number of students per year in astronomy, physics and engineering.
The students are usually advanced graduate students working on thesis projects, often quite mission specific, and the program is run through researchers at the NASA Centers, with each center offering a range of topics.
Admission is competitive, and the program has been…
catdynamics | October 28, 2011As you know, Bob, the NSF Portfolio Review is under way.
The NSF is urgently requesting community input for the process.
AST Portfolio Review
Community Input Invited
This is important.
It is highly desirable that a significant number of people provide concise and explicit input to the committee before christmas, in order to give the members a sense of the priorities of the community.
This is the only formal input process.
WHERE TO SEND INPUT
Send your comments to astportfolio@nsf.gov. Please do not contact committee members individually.
The input window will be open from October 26, 2011,…
catdynamics | October 25, 2011Dmitri Veras at the IoA, Cambridge, has created an interactive set of maps of astronomy institutions around much of the world,
take a look, especially if you are on the market... very nice.
h/t AstroBetter
current home of the Astro Rumour Mill
catdynamics | October 25, 2011The Signposts of Planets meeting was held at Goddard Space Flight Center last week
I didn't make it to that one, between pre-commitment to be at the NESC catalysis workshop, and other real life constraints I couldn't get down to Goddard, but, fortunately, they put some of the highlights on the Geeked on Goddard blog...
4 highligts of Signposts on Planets conference:
Spiral structure in protoplanetary disk of SAO 206462
click to embiggen
Could be a sign on (two) embedded planets in the disk.
Imaging of possible protoplanet in formation around LkCa15
click to embiggen
Cool Planet…
catdynamics | October 19, 2011
The NSF Astronomy division is commencing a Portfolio Review process...
"Based on the FY2011 budget appropriation and the FY2012 budget request, the optimistic budget assumed in the Astro2010 recommendations is unlikely to materialize. Therefore, NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST) is commencing a Portfolio Review process. Unlike the 2006 Senior Review, which considered the future only of AST-supported facilities, this review will encompass the entire portfolio of AST-supported facilities, programs, and other activities. The goal of the review is to recommend to AST how support for…