December 2024

18/12/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Update on the status of the Hubble Space Telescope
Annalisa De Cia (ESO)

Abstract

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is at its golden age of scientific productivity, its instruments are operating nominally, its sub-systems are expected to get well into the next decade, and the recent change to a reduced gyro mode (taking one of the three working gyros out of the loop) has restored stable operations, while keeping the quality of the science observations unchanged. Yet, financial cuts, and in particular the significant reduction of the HST budget starting this year put HST operations (including potential cuts to instrument modes) and science in peril. But the HST unique UV and optical capabilities are key to pave the way to the future NASA flagship mission, the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

11/12/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Nobel Prize Session: The awards in physics and chemistry
Miguel Vioque (ESO Garching)
04/12/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Auditorium Telescopium (ESO HQE, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — *Thesis Presentation Rehearsal*: A population synthesis model for young stars and their discs
Alice Somigliana (ESO)

November 2024

27/11/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The evolution of dwarf galaxies in cosmic voids
Rayssa Guimarães-Silva (Valongo Observatory)

Abstract

The most underdense regions of the Universe are the home of a population of gas-rich and low-metallicity dwarf galaxies. These galaxies could be the key to understand the earlier stages of hierarchical assembly within the ΛCDM. These galaxies present the exciting puzzle of how their stellar masses assembled — through gas accretion from the IGM, mergers, or a combination of both? The few observational and theoretical studies dedicated to this topic show conflicting results; during this discussion, I will outline an ongoing project that aims to address these questions by analyzing their neutral gas content and metallicity gradients, providing new insights into the assembly history of these galaxies.

20/11/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — How hypervelocity stars constrain the Galactic Centre
Sill Verberne (Leiden Obs.)

Abstract

Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) are stars which have been ejected from theGalactic Centre at velocities of up to a few thousand km/s. They are tracers of the Galactic potential and can be used to infer properties of the Galactic Centre, such as the initial-mass function and assembly history. HVSs are rare, however, with only about a dozen promising candidates discovered so far. In this informal discussion, I will describe our observational survey to discover additional HVSs and characterise their population properties. I will furthermore present our findings and show how these results help us understand the centre of our Galaxy. In particular, I show that the number of HVSs in our survey is highly constraining for the ejection rate of HVSs and the mass function of their progenitor population.

06/11/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Rotating under Pressure: Velocity and pressure substructures in planet-forming disks
Joe Stadler (Nice Obs.)

Abstract

The measurement of rotation curves led to big discoveries in astronomy, like the proposition of dark matter halos around galaxies. With the emergence of ALMA, it is now similarly possible to measure the rotation of gas in protoplanetary disks, which are several orders of magnitude smaller than galaxies. While the overall motion of the gas around newborn stars is Keplerian, with high spectral resolution molecular line observations, we can trace small-scale velocity perturbations caused by local pressure variations in the disk, possibly due to embedded planets.In the talk, I will discuss how we can observe gas rotation in planet-forming disks and what we can learn from studying the deviations from Keplerian rotation. In particular, I will present results from the rotation curve study for the disks of the exoALMA Large Program. We find that substructures in the deviation from Keplerian rotation are ubiquitous in our sample, on both small and large scales, and can reach up to 15 percent in the most extreme cases. Interestingly, the majority of the dust continuum rings and gaps are co-located with pressure maxima and minima, respectively. Finally, I will compare the presented results with the predictions from the theory and put them into the bigger picture of planet formation.

October 2024

23/10/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Forbidden lines do not get quenched
Jason Spyromilio and Stéphane Blondin (ESO, Garching and CNRS)

Abstract

Colleagues, young and old, erudite and wise, or even wiser, repeatedly state that forbidden lines get quenched at high electron densities. It is stated in textbooks and papers, and talked of in talks. But what is this ‘quenching’? Does it exist? Going back to the identification of Nebulium as emission by forbidden lines of ionised Oxygen by Ira Bowen in 1927 ambiguous language and, sadly ambiguous physics, has been used and sometimes even taught on the subject of the emission of forbidden lines in the high electron density regime. The discussion shall review the historical path to confusion and will try to right wrongs or as a minimum propagate doubt.

16/10/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — A Recipe for Identifying Dark Matter-Free Dwarf Galaxies?
Luisa Buzzo (ESO)

Abstract

Could some dwarf galaxies exist without dark matter? In this informal discussion, I’ll talk about a “recipe” for potentially identifying dark matter-free dwarf galaxy candidates, based on shared features found in systems like NGC 1052-DF2, DF4, and FCC 224, suggested to be dark matter deficient. These galaxies share key characteristics—such as unusually bright globular clusters, slow rotation, and similar ages for their stars and globular clusters, which make them stand out. By recognizing these signatures, we can pinpoint more potential dark matter-free dwarfs and reinterpret the role of dark matter in the formation of these galaxies.

10/10/24 (Thursday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The ALMASim tool
Michele Delli Veneri (INFN)
02/10/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — On the Hook-Newton duality and more
Georg Junker (ESO)

Abstract

Hooke’s law, characterizing the linear force exerted by an elastic spring, was published in 1678 in “De Potentia Restitutiva, or of Spring. Explaining the Power of Springing Bodies”. Only nine years later, in 1687, Newton published his “Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica”, which presented for the first time the famous inverse square force law of gravitation. At that time, according to Chandrasekar’s reading of the Principia, both Hook and Newtown, were aware about a duality between these two forces laws. This Hooke-Newton duality in essence states that the orbits of classical motion for both can be mapped into each other.     In this informal discussion we will: 1. Revisit and explicate this almost-350-year-old duality. 2. Learn about its generalization to arbitrary power-laws (Bohlin 1911). 3. Speculate about its possible relevance and application in general relativity.

September 2024

25/09/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — CTAPlus: a multi-disciplinary project supported by the European Recovery Plan
Elena Pian (INAF-OAS Bologna)

Abstract

Four ground-based multi-wavelength facilities are being developed and implemented by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics under EU sponsorship, in support of the Cherenkov Telescope Array project.   Among them is a polarized filter for  the VST/Omegacam, that will be suited for deep optical polarimetric surveys.

11/09/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The Role of the Large-Scale Environment on Galaxy Growth and Star Formation Activity in a Protocluster at Cosmic Noon
Rosa Calv (INAF OAC)

Abstract

High-redshift galaxy protoclusters serve as nurseries for young, rapidly growing star-forming galaxies that eventually quench and become the backbone of massive clusters at lower redshifts. During the cosmic noon, these large-scale structures are fed by vigorous cold gas streams fueling the star formation activities of their members. The Spiderweb protocluster is a well-known protocluster at z=2.2 which is expected to evolve into a massive cluster in a few Gyr. The unique compilation of data for this structure makes this field an ideal test-site for investigating the environmental effects on galaxy evolution. I will explore several scenarios that influence the growth and quenching of galaxies within the Spiderweb protocluster by analyzing molecular gas content and star formation rates. 

04/09/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Supernova Remnants in a Galactic Context
Cristine Koelln (ESO)

July 2024

31/07/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Experiments with chatGPT for user support at ESO
Paula Sanchez Saez (ESO)

Abstract

In this talk, I will present the experiments we are conducting at the User Support Department (USD) to create a chatGPT-based chatbot to support ESO users. We are using the new OpenAI tool called “GPT”, which allowed us to create a custom version of ChatGPT focused on supporting users of ESO instruments and on helping users with the ESO phase 1 and phase 2 processes.  The current version uses as context public manuals for all the VLT instruments, and a few La Silla instruments, as well as some official public ESO webpages. This GPT is still in the development and testing phase and, thus, is not publicly available yet.

However, to help us test the tool, we encourage any interested ESO student/fellow/staff member to sign up to become a beta tester.

17/07/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Big Science, Big Data - Big Teams?
Rosemary Wyse (Johns Hopkins University)
10/07/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — An Australian perspective on achieving gender parity in astronomy
Melanie Kaasinen (ESO)

June 2024

26/06/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Cosmology from simulation-based inference
Beatriz Tucci (MPA)

Abstract

I will explain the basis of simulation-based inference (SBI), a novel technique based on deep learning for robust Bayesian analysis. Afterwards, I will show how SBI can be applied to the domain of galaxy clustering to obtain cosmological parameters.

19/06/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Gravitational Quantum Mechanics for Astronomers
Georg Junker (ESO)

Abstract

The 20-th century has seen the discovery of two fundamental theories, the general relativity and the quantum theory. Both have been confirmed in many ways during the past 100 years, but any attempt for a unification has failed so far. It is believed that any of such theories will require a minimal length scale provided by the Planck length λ ≈ 10^{-33} cm. Gravitational quantum mechanics (GQM) is a deformation of standard quantum mechanics (SQM) with a build-in minimal length scale λ > 0. Purpose of this informal discussion is to elaborate on some of the basic ideas of GQM and present a few recent elementary results.

12/06/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Star Formation, Feedback, Self-Regulation
John Bally (University of Colorado)

Abstract

What determines stellar masses and the mass spectrum of stars?  Most stars form in short-lived, ultra-dense clusters from the gravitational collapse  and fragmentation of Giant Molecular Clouds.  I will argue that a `Ladder’ of ever-more potent feedback mechanisms, combined with the N-body dynamics of such clusters and unstable multiple star systems limits the efficiency of star formation,  sets stellar masses, and drives the cycling of atoms between the ISM and stars.   A ~100 Myr cycle-time with star formation efficiency of (SFE) ~5 to 10% implies an ISM consumption time-scale of 1 to 2 Gyr in the absence of infall from outside the Galaxy.

05/06/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The IceCube Neutrino Observatory: Using a billion tons of ice as a telescope
Martina Karl (TUM & ESO)

Abstract

On a continent far, far away, there is a telescope hidden two kilometers below the surface in the Antarctic ice at the South Pole. This telescope detects one of the most elusive messengers in astronomy: Neutrinos. In this discussion, I will present the working principles of neutrino astronomy, what main challenges we face, and some fundamental differences between neutrino astronomy and "classical" astronomy.  

May 2024

29/05/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The globular clusters seen from their variable star populations
Armando Arellano Ferro (Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)

Abstract

Globular clusters (GC) generally harbour variable stars of different types, with the RR Lyrae (RRL)  the most common. Other types are semi-regular giants and the blue-stragglers SX Phe stars. For decades it has been known that RRL are good distance indicators. Their light curve morphology however is sensitive to other physical parameters of astrophysical relevance, e.g. the metallicity, mass, radius and temperature. Fourier decomposition of their light curves leads to useful semiempirical relations which in turn can be used to estimate the mean metallicity and distance to the parental cluster. At some point (~2008) we became curious about using the RRL population in as many GC as possible to see if we could photometrically establish homogeneous scales for the mean iron abundance and distances. In this talk I will briefly describe our approaches to the understanding of the GC horizontal branch structure, and the photometric metallicity and distance scales.

22/05/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Some Lessons from the Next Generation Fornax Survey
Thomas Puzia (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile)

Abstract

The Next Generation Fornax Survey (NGFS) is a deep, panchromatic imaging campaign that covers the virial sphere of the Fornax galaxy cluster in the optical (u’g’i’, using DECam@CTIO) and near-infrared filters (JKs, using VIRCam@VISTA). The survey targets all baryonic structures down to point-source luminosities typical of globular clusters and reaches surface brightness limits deep enough to detect ultra-diffuse and LSB dwarf galaxies. I will present some interesting galaxy scaling relations and showcase our most recent findings related to the dynamical properties of satellite galaxies within the Fornax galaxy cluster. We identified a distinct transition radius, demarcating two zones where satellites exhibit varying properties of tidal stress. Intriguingly, this substructure mirrors patterns observed in other nearby environments and in cosmological galaxy simulations. If time allows, I will highlight exciting new results based on the H-alpha extension of NGFS.

15/05/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The Multiplicity of Wolf-Rayet stars: Zooming out with Interferometry
Kunal Deshmukh (KU Leuven)

Abstract

Wolf-Rayet stars (WRs) are the penultimate evolutionary stage for stars more massive than 25-40 Msun, and are considered immediate progenitors of stellar mass black holes. The formation of WRs through single or binary stellar evolution channel is a debated topic, and the contribution of the two channels is uncertain. To get more insights into this, spectroscopic studies have attempted to determine the multiplicity of WRs, but are largely limited to relatively high mass ratios and short periods. In this talk, I will discuss a complementary approach to this problem with infrared interferometry and highlight the key discoveries and limitations of this method.

08/05/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The theory, practice, perils and impact of FAIR Open Data
Martino Romaniello (ESO)

Abstract

FAIR Open Data is one of the pillars of modern research. It is the paradigm whereby data ultimately become available and findable without restrictions, independently of the circumstances of their acquisition, thus sparking the generation of more science results and allowing the scrutiny of previous claims. Virtually all of today's facilities are equipped for Open Data, and practically all current funding schemes require it in some form.

ESO has a long tradition in Open Data, having run a science archive since the late 1980s. In this Informal Discussion, we will review the theory, practice, perils and impact of Open Data, using the ESO Science Archive, and beyond, as guidance.

April 2024

17/04/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Squaring Odd Radio Circles With Spectroscopy
David Rupke (Rhodes College)

Abstract

I'll introduce a new class of radio objects, the Odd Radio Circle (ORCs). You'll learn why they're odd; how far away they are; and some ideas for what may produce them, based on recent optical spectroscopy.

03/04/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Three's a party: the three disks of Be binary systems
Amanda Rubio (ESO)

Abstract

Accretion disks are common in astrophysical systems, from AGN to protostellar disks. The disks of Be stars (rapidly rotating Main Sequence B-type stars) are special: they are discretion disks, built from matter ejected by the central object. When in a binary system, the companion can affect the Be disk in many ways, exciting density waves and even causing truncation. It can also accrete material from it, as is the case for Be X-ray binaries, whose X-ray emission is powered by accretion onto a compact companion. In our work we simulate Be binaries with a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code (Okazaki et al. 2002) in order to investigate the effects of the companion on the dynamics of the disk, the process through which it accretes matter, and how the system loses mass as whole. We employ a modified version of the code, specially updated by us to increase resolution in low density areas of the system, such as the outer disk and around the companion. We find that disks are formed around the secondary in all models, but viscosity, mass ratio and period play a significant role in their structure and kinematics. A circumbinary disk is formed around the system for all simulations, which was never before seen in simulations for coplanar, circular Be binaries, but agrees with recent observational findings of radio emission from these types of system, where an ad-hoc circumbinary disk model was employed. Our study paves the way for a better understanding of X-ray emission in Be X-ray binaries, and offers an insight in how hidden companions of Be stars can be detected observationally.

March 2024

27/03/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Observing polarization in the Northern Lights with Ultimate PANIC
Thijs Stockmans (Leiden Observatory)

Abstract

The Northern Light has been inspiring awe in humans for millennia. We mostly see three colors of light dancing in the sky: Blue aurorae at 428 nm coming from excited N2, Green aurorae at 557.7 from atomic oxygen, and red aurorae mainly at 630 nm also due to atomic oxygen. Interest in the polarization of the northern light started in 1959, but the reported measurements were quickly disputed and the results were deemed unreliable. Interest in this topic has been low, until 2008, when they again observed the red line of the Aurora and found a significant signal. However, this and the following polarization measurements of the other lines lacked spatial information. In this talk, I will present measurements of the polarization of the Aurora with our new compact instrument which can do RGB linear polarization measurements. I will discuss the main obstacles we faced, solutions such as adding an additional halfwave plate, and a preliminary view of the latest results.

13/03/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Latest on climate simulations: Atlantic circulation might be on tipping course
Giulia Roccetti (ESO)

Abstract

I will present one of the most recent climate simulation results regarding the potential collapse of one of Earth’s most prominent tipping elements: the abrupt collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). AMOC is a system of ocean currents that brings warm water north and cold water south in the Atlantic. Its potential collapse could lead to abrupt cooling of the Northern Hemisphere, changes in tropical rainfall patterns, and non-linear changes in sea-level rise in the North Atlantic. Using the Community Earth System Model, Van Westen et al. (2024) simulated the first AMOC tipping event due to ocean freshwater forcing from Greenland Ice Sheet melt. From their results, they developed a physics-based and observable early warning signal of AMOC tipping. Atmospheric reanalysis products indicate that the present-day AMOC is on route to tipping, but current time series measurements do not allow us to predict when this abrupt transition might occur. Abrupt transitions occurring due to climate change might have a dramatical impact on ecosystems and living organisms on our planet.

Van Westen et al., Sci. Adv., 10, 6, 2024

 

06/03/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The alpha-element enrichment of gas in distant galaxies
Anna Velichko (University of Geneva)

Abstract

The chemical evolution of distant galaxies, unlike nearby galaxies, cannot be assessed from observations of individual stars. On the other hand, the study of the interstellar medium (ISM) is an alternative way to reveal important properties of the chemical evolution of distant galaxies. The outcome of the evolutionary history of galaxies is recorded in the interstellar abundances of the chemical elements. Observations of the interstellar medium (ISM) in galaxies of various types, which differ in mass, size, metallicity, and are at different evolutionary stages, can provide a key to understanding the processes taking place in galaxies.I will present the study of the abundance patterns of the neutral ISM in 110 gas-rich mostly-metal-poor distant galaxies (Damped Lyman-alpha absorbers, DLAs) at redshifts 0.60 < z < 3.40. We observe systematic deviations from the basic abundance patterns for O, Mg, Si, S, Ti, and Mn, which we interpret as alpha-element enhancements and Mn underabundance.  We constrain for the first time the distribution of the alpha-element enhancement with metallicity in the neutral ISM in distant galaxies. Less massive galaxies show an alpha-element knee at lower metallicities than more massive galaxies. If this collective behaviour can be interpreted as for individual systems, this would suggest that more massive and metal-rich systems evolve to higher metallicities before the contribution of SN-Ia to [alpha/Fe] levels out that of core-collapse SNe, possibly explained by different SFR in galaxies of different masses. Overall, our results add important clues to the study of chemical evolution of distant galaxies.

February 2024

28/02/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — The First Detection of Line Pressure Broadening in a Protoplanetary Disk
Tomohiro Yoshida (NAOJ)

Abstract

Pressure broadening is one of the general line broadening processes in astrophysics. Indeed, it is widely used to model spectra from stelar and exoplanetary atmospheres, where the gas pressure is significantly high. However, its effect has been ignored in the field of planet formation. In this talk, we show that pressure broadening can affect line emission with high optical depths, even under a typical condition of the inner ~10 au region of protoplanetary disks, which produces very broad line wings. By taking advantage of this phenomenon, we can directly measure the gas pressure and density, which is otherwise a very difficult task. Indeed, we found that the CO molecular line spectrum from the nearest protoplanetary disk around the young star TW Hya has a very broad line wing, which is characteristic of pressure broadening. We successfully derived the gas density profile and found that the disk is gas-rich and a promising site for planet formation.

21/02/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Bayesian Reconstruction through Adaptive Image Notion
Fabrizia Guglielmetti (ESO)

Abstract

An ESO internal ALMA development study, BRAIN is addressing the ill-posed inverse problem of image analysis employing astrostatistics and astroinformatics [1,2]. These emerging fields of research offer interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of observational astronomy, statistics, algorithm development, and data science [3]. In this study, we provide evidence of the benefits in employing these approaches to ALMA image analysis for operational and scientific purposes. We show the potentials of two techniques (RESOLVE [4,5] and DeepFocus [6]), applied to ALMA calibrated science visibilities. Significant advantages are provided with the potential to improve the quality and completeness of the data products and overall processing time. Both approaches evidence the logical pathway to address the incoming revolution in data analysis dictated by ALMA2030 [7]. Moreover, we bring to the community additional products through a new package (ALMASim) to promote advancements in these fields, providing a refined ALMA simulator usable by a large community for training and/or testing new algorithms.

 

[1] Guglielmetti, F. et al. "Bayesian and Machine Learning Methods in the Big Data Era for Astronomical Imaging" Phys. Sci. Forum 2022, 5(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/psf2022005050

[2] Guglielmetti, F. et al. ?A BRAIN Study to Tackle Image Analysis with Artificial Intelligence in the ALMA 2030 Era? Phys. Sci. Forum 2023, 9(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/psf2023009018

[3] Siemiginovska, A. et al. "Astro2020 Science White Paper: The Next Decade of Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics", arXiv 2019, arXiv:1903.06796

[4] Junklewitz. H. et al. "RESOLVE: A new algorithm for aperture synthesis imaging of extended emission in radio astronomy", A&A, 586, A76 (2016)

[5] Tychoniec, L. et al. "Bayesian Statistics Approach to Imaging of Aperture Synthesis Data: RESOLVE Meets ALMA" Phys. Sci. Forum 2022, 5(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/psf2022005052

[6] Delli Veneri, M. et al. "3D detection and characterization of ALMA sources through deep learning", 518, 3 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac3314

[7] Carpenter, J.; Iono, D.; Kemper, F.; Wootten, A. "The ALMA Development Program: Roadmap to 2030", arXiv 2020, arXiv:2001.11076

 

14/02/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Look different: classifying periodic time series from a computer vision point of view
Nicolás Monsalves Gonzalez (Universidad de La Serena)

Abstract

Supervised learning methods are routinely used on tabular data of light-curves (either feature based or involving deep learning) to classify the origin of the variations. On the other hand, a not so commonly used approach is to classify the phased curves as "static" images themselves. We are not the first group to propose this approach but since it is still not commonly used I will present the main challenges and achievements we faced from a conceptual point of view. As this is meant to be an informal discussion, some intuitive principles will be explained regarding how our architecture works, how data have to be (and are) processed, etc

07/02/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — From Engineering to Astronomy, is it really a good idea?
Sebastián Zúñiga Fernández (Université de Liège & ESO visitor)

Abstract

I will present some of my experiences moving from engineering to Astronomy. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of this change and also some differences between the two fields I've seen along the way. It was a good idea? We will see...

January 2024

31/01/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Discovering the accelerating universe - looking back after 25 years
Bruno Leibundgut & Jason Spyromilio (ESO)

Abstract

We will reminisce about the what happened leading up to the discovery of the accelerated expansion and what it took to get there. Some of the consequences of this discovery will also be presented.

24/01/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Orbyts: Partnering Researchers with Schools
Hannah Osborne (UCL & ESO)

Abstract

Orbyts is a multi-award-winning movement that partners scientists with schools to empower school students to undertake world-leading research. We aim to address diversity issues in science and to support short-supply science teachers who have extensive time pressures. We accomplish this through multi-term partnerships that are proven to transform science inclusivity, inspire school students and teachers, and ignite scientists' leadership potential. In this discussion I will explain how the Orbyts programme works on a practical level, and share some of the highlights of our most recent impact report.

17/01/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — Open Access — the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Uta Grothkopf (ESO)

Abstract

Open Access (OA) publishing has become a hot topic. Funders, research organisations, and universities are developing OA policies that researchers need to know about and adhere to. The fact that models for OA implementation vary and continue to evolve makes it difficult to stay well informed.

In this Informal Discussion, we will review the situation in OA publishing by looking at positive, but also negative aspects, along with a few issues that should be avoided altogether. We will also look at the OA models of major astronomy journals and evaluate if and how they are suited to establish a collaborative, equitable, sustainable publishing landscape.

10/01/24 (Wednesday)
10:00, Library (ESO HQ, Garching) | ESO Garching
Informal Discussion
Talk — A general introduction to the Julia programming language
Oliver Schulz (MPP)

Abstract

In today's dynamic landscape, where efficiency and innovation are pivotal, the Julia programming language (https://julialang.org/) demonstrated to be a revolution in scientific and data computing. This programming language got attention for its exceptional speed, versatility and easy to use. In the same line of Python, Julia is used in fields as diverse as finance, healthcare, engineering in addition to be widely used in particle physics. Oliver Schulz (MPP), developer of BAT.jl (Bayesian Analysis Toolkit), will provide a general introduction, background, and some pros and cons of Julia programming language.

Important note, this discussion will continue with some worked examples in the AI Forum at 14:00 (10/01/2024).