In-Person Club Meeting

Time: 7PM

Location:
United Methodist Church
Wesley Room
1515 Fredricks Street
San Luis Obsipo, CA 93405

Main Topic: Blazars, the Most Energetic Particle Accelerators in the Universe, by Jodi Christiansen

Description:
Most galaxies harbor a supermassive black hole (SMBH) at their core.  Although black holes by themselves do not radiate light, and cannot be seen by any telescope, many of these SMBH collect material around them that creates extreme environments.  This material typically forms an accretion disk and a jet of particles.  When the jet of particles is tipped toward the earth, astronomers call it a Blazar.  The particles in the jet radiate light at all wavelengths.

In this talk, Dr. Jodi Christiansen will  outline the formation of a supermassive black hole and their extreme environment.  She will then talk about the telescopes needed to measure all the wavelengths, including the VERITAS telescope which she worked on in Arizona.  By combining the results from all of the telescopes, we are able to measure the physical properties of the jets.

Biography:
Dr. Jodi Christiansen received her bachelor’s degree in physics from Harvey Mudd College and her PhD from the University of Wisconsin where she specialized in Experimental High Energy Particle Physics.  She then accepted post-doctoral positions at Brandeis University (1993-1998) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (1999-2005). During her second post-doctoral position, she concentrated on several astroparticle experiments, including AMANDA and SNAP.  For the past 18 years, she has been a professor at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo working in gamma-ray astronomy with the VERITAS collaboration.  She likes to hike, swim, and play the violin.  She has also begun to dabble in amateur astronomy.

Directions:
When you pull into the first driveway for this address, stay to the right at the Y-intersection of the driveway and follow it down to the lower parking lot. You will see Astronomy signs and people directing you up a flight of stairs and into the room.

(If you get lost, circle around the buildings until you see the Astronomy signs for CCAS.)

This meeting is in-person only and will not be recorded or live-streamed.
Light refreshments will be available.

Please Contact Us if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing you there!