astro[sound]bites

Episode 31: Hypervelocity Heavens    Today we pump the gas to get up to speed on the hypervelocity objects of our universe. Alex divulges how hypervelocity stars tell us about their black hole origins, Will discusses a beehive of stars marching to the tune of its own drummer, and Malena shares plans for our first shot at reaching another stellar system.   Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2020/03...

It’s a harsh world out there, as the gang learns by trekking out to observe accretion in the wild. Will peers through his simulation binoculars to see whether tidal disruption events can really satisfy a hungry black hole, and Malena grabs her spectroscopic scalpel to pick apart a white dwarf’s last meal. Plus, we learn a few life lessons from planetesimals.   Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/20...

In this episode, we’re blown back and blown away by the solar wind. Will offers a historical overview of how Eugene Parker discovered the solar wind without running a single experiment. Malena covers early results and next steps for the eponymous and incredibly hot Parker Solar Probe, as it ~enters the Sun~. Postdoc Chris Spalding also discusses Mercury’s (literally) impactful and (solar) windy ch...

We were going to write show notes, but it’s been a little while since we recorded and we forgot what we talked about. I guess you could call our memory…. transient! In this episode we discuss some of the quickest, most high-energy astrophysical phenomena in the Universe. Will describes a possible explanation for some of the speediest and most mysterious flashes of energy ever detected, while Alex...

We’re starting off the new year right by getting ahead of the curve! In this topsy-turvy episode, we tackle the stretching and curving of non-Euclidean geometry -- where it came from, why it teaches us about black holes and the shape of the universe, and how conformal diagrams help us wrap our minds (and our spacetime) around it all. Alex amazes with ascending audio, Will gives the all-clear to ke...

Ever experience the last rays of sunlight sparkling across the ocean? In this episode, PhD student Michael Heslar tells us how we can use this twinkling across the methane seas of Titan to study waves, winds, and much more. Plus, Alex brings us an Astrobite using shimmering starlight to help you find your next exoplanet vacation destination!   Michael’s published paper: doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/aba191...

Please describe a time in your life when you experienced and overcame hardship. Well, middle school wasn’t great...I stubbed my toe this morning….how much detail are you looking for here?? The decision to apply to grad school can be both thrilling and terrifying. And, just like in research, one question can lead to ten more. Have no fear, the team is here! Will the Worthful helps you find the perf...

Planets and quenching and stars, oh my! In this finale to our four-part series on machine learning in astrophysics, the team hits the (virtual) road to hear from the experts. Our first stop is Irvine, California, where Tae Baxter teaches us that even galaxies struggle to stay active during quarantine. Next, we’re off to Porto, Portugal, where Ana Barboza uses the planetary ends to justify the k-me...

They say the 20th century explorers were astronauts. The 21st century explorers might be data scientists using unsupervised learning methods to explore big data. In this episode, we learn Alex and computers have a love-hate relationship with authority, Will struggles to introduce his space sound, and Malena tells us she has enough coffee tables.    Astrobites astrobites.org/2017/09/21 astrobites.o...

Today we get to talk about everyone’s favorite problem: too much data and too little time! It’s not yet Halloween, but today’s spooky episode is full of GHOSTs and ASSASNs. Alex shares his recent work applying random forests to create a supernatural catalog and predictor of supernova types, and Will describes a tremendous classification effort to automatically sort variable stars.   Alex’s GHOST w...

This episode takes us into dark notions and oscillating questions! Malena spices rocks that orbit remote places and Will covers his dwarfs with tenderness and instability.   Okay, so none of this is true. But we used machine learning to generate this text! Episode 21 is the first in our three part series covering machine learning methods in astronomy.  First up? Neural networks!    https://astrobi...

Why are power laws so ubiquitous in nature? And how can they teach us about space? In today’s episode, we dive into some classic research results to understand the properties of objects at all scales and sizes. Malena has her head in the (molecular) clouds, Will gets a little peculiar, and Alex takes pulsars for a spin.   astrobites.org/2012/11/18 astrobites.org/2016/06/30 astrobites.org/2017/04/1...

Is there extraterrestrial life? Are they on giant glowing planets? Do they listen to Bach? We explore three papers in the field of astrobiology that take concrete, experimental steps toward an answer. "Everything not forbidden is compulsory,” so we speculate wildly about first contact.    astrobites.org/2020/03/12 astrobites.org/2019/08/27 astrobites.org/2020/04/06   Space sound: youtube.com/watch...

We venture far beyond the local universe, outside our subfields, and back in time to look at galaxies when they just formed for the first time. In doing so, we learn Malena’s beagle was a good boy, Alex has a soft spot for dropouts, and Will’s doppelganger is a more prolific publisher.   Astrobites: astrobites.org/2020/05/16 astrobites.org/2020/05/02 astrobites.org/2020/02/05   Space Sound: Prof....

What does it mean to be a successful astronomer? In our second Beyond episode, we delve into the notion of personal and professional success in the field, and revisit the constant expectation to "publish or perish".   Astrobites: astrobites.org/2017/10/27 astrobites.org/2016/12/16 astrobites.org/2018/08/17 astrobites.org/2020/06/19   Other links: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/04/21/earl...

Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Long ago, we thought these substances were the building blocks for everything except Space. Today we know better. In this episode, we scour the furthest reaches of the Cosmos for the Elementals. Will goes with the flow, Malena keeps us grounded, and NASA Intern Ashley Walker and Alex take us over the (Titan) rainbow.   Ashley Walker: @That_Astro_Chic https://astrobites.org...

Little rocks rock! We learn from Will and PhD student Tim Holt that home is where the collision is, from Alex that Pluto is cold-hearted, and from Malena that rocks that orbit together, stay together.   astrobites.org/2020/05/13 astrobites.org/2020/02/14 astrobites.org/2019/07/01   Euler Diagram: wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_planet   Space Sound: ESA   We begin with a statement of solidarity with the...

This Memorial Day weekend, we're dusting off the baby photos! We discuss how these snapshots of planets, galaxy clusters, and even the Universe itself can help us to understand where we came from and how the Universe evolved.   Astrobites: astrobites.org/2019/07/26 astrobites.org/2018/10/30 astrobites.org/2016/11/28   Space Sound:  youtube.com/watch?time_continue=160&v=IzeJq3CbiZM&feature=emb_titl...

This episode takes us as far out as Taurus and as far back as Will’s middle school days as we review exciting research into the chemical composition of our universe. Malena spices up the episode, Alex stays COM and collected, and Will sets his PHAZERs to stun.   Chembites: https://chembites.org/   Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2018/03/20/ https://astrobites.org/2020/02/24/ https://astrobites....

In our first Beyond A[S]B episode, we take you all the way back to the beginning...of our research careers. We share the disappointment of unanswered emails, excitement of unexpected opportunities, and hard lessons learned. Did you like hearing about us? Email us:  astrosoundbites@gmail.com . Astrobite: astrobites.org/2013/02/21 Malena’s particle physics video: youtu.be/oTUPOoy7YL8 12th grade Will...

In today's episode, we delve into the realm of unpredictable astrophysical phenomena. Will explores chaos and instability in multiplanet systems, Alex explains what happens when >2 black holes don't practice social distancing, and Malena describes the algorithms we use to simulate it all.   Featured Astrobites: astrobites.org/2020/02/11 astrobites.org/2018/02/23 astrobites.org/2017/05/01   Credits...

Why aren’t galaxies randomly distributed in space? In this episode, we explore this and other questions from the field of cosmology! Malena goes on a hunt for missing baryons, Alex surfs the Cosmic Web, and Will does a deep dive into dark matter.  Featured Astrobites: astrobites.org/2020/01/27 astrobites.org/2019/11/18 astrobites.org/2020/02/06   Links:   Saturn Lightning: solarsystem.nasa.gov/res...

We may never know if there’s an afterlife, but we do know that death isn’t the end for some unusual objects in space. Alex tells us about a zombie star that may have gone supernova twice, Will covers white dwarfs with a (potentially) explosive afterlife, and Malena talks about planets that might survive a supernova.    Astrobites: astrobites.org/2019/05/13 astrobites.org/2016/10/05 astrobites.org/...

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite was designed to find exoplanets -- but, it turns out that there's a huge amount of other science that it can do, too! In this episode, we provide an inside look at the TESS Ninja 3 conference and explore the range of science being studied with TESS: comets, stellar clusters and flares, trans-Neptunian objects, black holes, and more.   Featured Astrobites:...

The laws of physics that govern our universe rely on only a handful of constants. But are these values really constant after all? In this episode, we explore new research into the gravitational constant, the diffuse gas fraction in the universe, and a very peculiar planet's orbital period.   Featured Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2018/09/27/ https://astrobites.org/2019/09/24/ https://astrobit...