Interstellar Medium, Molecular Clouds, Star Formation & Evolution, Supernovae & Their Remnants, Long Gamma-ray Bursts, Cosmic Rays
Image credit: ALMA / ESO / NAOJ / NRAO / Alexandra Angelich, NRAO / AUI / NSF.
Stars are the fundamental building blocks and probes of the Universe. They are formed in stellar nurseries enshrouded by dust and gas, and end their lives in violent explosions, creating some of the most captivating events one can witness. Faculty in CIERA study, model, and observe many stages of a star’s life from birth to death, the planets formed around them, how they impact their environments, as well as the compact remnants they leave behind.
Research at CIERA
Evolving to the end states of stellar evolution, Professor Fong’s team uses radio and optical observations to study and model relativistic explosions called gamma-ray bursts and their host galaxy environments, probing star formation from the local neighborhood to the high-redshift Universe. Professor Margutti’s group uses multi-wavelength observations to study the last chapter of the stellar story including gamma-ray bursts, the most luminous supernovae, and new classes of enigmatic transients. Professor Tchekhovskoy uses state-of-the-art simulations to study the formation of relativistic jets in core-collapse gamma ready busts.
Opportunities
Deadline: 11:59pm, December 1, 2020
The Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) at Northwestern University invites applications for CIERA Postdoctoral Fellowships. CIERA Fellows have the opportunity to pursue an independent research program and benefit from a diverse and dynamic intellectual environment.
Deadline: 11:59pm, December 1, 2020
Northwestern University expects to offer postdoctoral associate positions in observational astronomy and astrophysics starting in fall 2021. These positions will be part of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) at Northwestern. Successful applicants will benefit from interaction with a broad interdisciplinary group of researchers and will be immersed in a diverse and dynamic intellectual environment.
Deadline: 11:59pm, December 1, 2020
Northwestern University expects to offer postdoctoral associate positions in theoretical astronomy and astrophysics starting in fall 2021. These positions will be part of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) at Northwestern. Successful applicants will benefit from interaction with a broad interdisciplinary group of researchers and will be immersed in a diverse and dynamic intellectual environment.
News
Gallery
SN 2019ehk
SN 2019ehk
Artist’s interpretation of the calcium-rich supernova 2019ehk. Shown in orange is the calcium-rich material created in the explosion. Purple coloring represents gas shedded by the star right before the explosion, which then produced bright X-ray emission when the material collided with the supernova shockwave. Learn more: Calcium-rich supernova examined with X-rays for first time Credit:
SN2016aps
SN2016aps
A supernova at least twice as bright and energetic, and likely much more massive than any yet recorded has been identified by an international team of astronomers. Continue to the full article at University of Birmingham News. View the Nature Astronomy article, “An extremely energetic supernova from a very massive star in a dense medium” Image
Press Conference: “Astronomers Have a Cow”
Press Conference: “Astronomers Have a Cow”
233rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Seattle, WA Thursday, 10 January 2019
- Science
CIERA’s 10th Annual Public Lecture, “The NU Astronomy of Stars, Black Holes, and Cosmic Explosions”
CIERA’s 10th Annual Public Lecture, “The NU Astronomy of Stars, Black Holes, and Cosmic Explosions”
CIERA’s 10th annual public lecture was presented October 11, 2018 by director Vicky Kalogera. Kalogera’s talk–a glimpse into the years of fascinating work conducted by CIERA–highlighted key discoveries and what they mean for the future of astronomy. Kalogera discussed the lives of stars, how their influence on the Cosmos has changed in the recent decade,
CIERA / Northwestern
- Event,
- Interdisciplinary
Radio Rebound Powered by Jets from Gamma-Ray Burst
Radio Rebound Powered by Jets from Gamma-Ray Burst
Astronomers using ALMA studied a cataclysmic stellar explosion known as a gamma-ray burst, or GRB, and found its enduring “afterglow.” The rebound, or reverse shock, triggered by the GRB’s powerful jets slamming into surrounding debris, lasted thousands of times longer than expected. These observations provide fresh insights into the physics of GRBs, one of the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
How many merger binary black holes are there?
How many merger binary black holes are there?
How many merger binary black holes are there? There are lots of uncertainties in our understanding of stellar evolution. This plot shows one prediction from the COMPAS population synthesis code for the number of gravitational-wave detections: there would be about 500 detections per year of observing time once our detectors reach design sensitivity! In Barrett, Gaebel,
Barrett, Gaebel, Neijssel, Vigna-Gómez, Stevenson, Berry, Farr, & Mandel (2018)
People
Core Astronomy Faculty
Faculty
Kari Frank
Director of Operations of CIERA, Research Assistant Professor
Postdocs
Adam Miller
LSST Data Science Fellow; Data Science Fellowship Program Director
Graduate Students
