Star Clusters, Galactic Nuclei, Stellar Collisions & Mergers, Interacting Binaries
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Research at CIERA
The centers of galaxies are complex environments whose properties are a result of the interactions between the massive black holes that reside there, vast clouds of gas, and dense populations of stars and stellar remnants.
Professor Rasio’s group studies numerical models of dense stellar environments such as nuclear star clusters.
Professor Larson’s group studies the interactions of single stars with massive black holes, a prospective LISA gravitational wave source class known as an EMRI (“extreme mass ratio inspiral”).
Professor Zadeh is an observer who studies stellar populations and physical processes in the Milky Way nucleus using observations across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Professor Fragione investigates the dynamical evolution of dense stellar environments including galactic nuclei. By using a combination of observational data, high precision simulation-based techniques, and analytical equations, he studies how the primordial properties of dense star clusters shape their fate and observable properties across cosmic time.
Opportunities
Deadline: 11:59pm, March 20, 2023
REACH (Research Experiences in Astronomy at CIERA for High School Students) is a highly interactive, 3-week program (with an optional 3-week extension) that provides high school students experience with astronomy research in an atmosphere of team-style learning, hands-on training, and mentorship from professional scientists. Students enrolled in the program engage in astronomy research projects with CIERA astronomers.
News




Gallery

Firefly visualization of the ESA Gaia DR3 dataset
Firefly visualization of the ESA Gaia DR3 dataset
Firefly video visualization of data from the the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia satellite. The full demo enables users to explore all 1.46 billion stars in the Gaia DR3 dataset in real time. Firefly is a browser-based interactive particle visualization app created by CIERA researchers Alex Gurvich and Aaron Geller, in a joint venture with
- Data Science & Computing,
- Interdisciplinary,
- Outreach,
- Education

Firefly visualization of the ESA Gaia DR3 dataset

Firefly visualization of the ESA Gaia DR3 dataset
Still image from a Firefly video visualization of data from the the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia satellite. The full demo enables users to explore all 1.46 billion stars in the Gaia DR3 dataset in real time. Firefly is a browser-based interactive particle visualization app created by CIERA researchers Alex Gurvich and Aaron Geller, in
- Data Science & Computing,
- Interdisciplinary,
- Outreach,
- Education

Rho Oph dark cloud observed with HAWC+

Rho Oph dark cloud observed with HAWC+
Left: NASA Spitzer image showing the portion of the Rho Oph dark cloud observed with HAWC+ instrument….
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA. SOFIA/ HAWC+/ Northwestern University /F. Pereira Santos
- Science

Image Gets “Starlinked”

Image Gets “Starlinked”
Cliff Johnson (Northwestern University) and colleagues took this image using the Dark Energy Camera on the 4-meter Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. Nineteen Starlink satellite trails crossed the image during the six-minute exposure. The image was taken as part of the DELVE survey, which is mapping the outskirts of the Magellanic Clouds,
DELVE Survey / CTIO / AURA / NSF

Giant balloon-like structures discovered at center of Milky Way
Giant balloon-like structures discovered at center of Milky Way
An international team of astronomers, including Northwestern University’s Farhad Yusef-Zadeh, has discovered one of the largest structures ever observed in the Milky Way. A newly spotted pair of radio-emitting bubbles reach hundreds of light-years tall, dwarfing all other structures in the central region of the galaxy.
- Science

APERTURE Telescope Conceptual Design Animation
APERTURE Telescope Conceptual Design Animation
APERTURE: A Precise Extremely large Reflective Telescope Using Reconfigurable Elements. This is the deployment concept which was produced during the NIAC Phase I feasibility study. APERTURE is a UV-Visible telescope with a 16-m diameter primary mirror. The primary is a flexible membrane coated with magnetic smart material. The shape of the reflector can be corrected
Mel Ulmer / CIERA Northwestern
People
Core Faculty



Vicky Kalogera
Daniel I. Linzer Distinguished University Professor, Director of CIERA

Shane Larson
Research Professor, Associate Director of CIERA




Associate Faculty

Postdocs
Research Staff

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