Chris Wrede: Lecture 1 "Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics with Rare Isotopes"

Tuesday, October 5th 4pm Eastern Time

Chris Wrede is a professor of physics at Michigan State University. His research focuses on studying nuclei experimentally to probe fundamental questions about our universe. For example, by measuring nuclear reactions, decays, and masses in the laboratory he learns about the reactions that power exploding stars or affect their synthesis of chemical elements. To take advantage of the cold Michigan winters, he enjoys setting up and maintaining a backyard ice skating rink for his kids every year.

wrede@nscl.msu.edu / Professional Homepage

Jocelyn Read: Lecture 2 "The Universe in Gravitational Waves: Learning about dense matter"

Tuesday, November 2nd, 4pm Eastern Time

Jocelyn Read is an Associate Professor of Physics at California State University Fullerton. She has co-lead the Extreme Matter team of the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra Collaboration since 2016, and is contributing to the development of the next-generation gravitational-wave observatory Cosmic Explorer. Her research focuses on connecting the nuclear physics of neutron-star astrophysics with observations of gravitational waves. She also enjoys cross stitch and needlework.

jread@fullerton.edu / Professional Homepage

Anna Frebel: Lecture 3 "A rare and prolific r-process event observed in a small dwarf galaxy"

Lecture 3: Tuesday, November 16th at 4pm Eastern Time

Anna Frebel is an observational astronomer and astrophysicist. She is best known for her discoveries and spectroscopic analyses of the oldest, most metal-poor stars in the Milky Way and small dwarf galaxies (“stellar and dwarf galaxy archaeology”) to explore the chemical and physical conditions of the early universe. She also enjoys communicating science to the public through regular public lectures, magazine articles, interviews as well as her popular science book “Searching for the oldest stars: Ancient Relics from the Early Universe” (Princeton University Press). As a single mom, she enjoys spending time with her two young boys, playing Lego, board games, cooking together, and running around outside.

afrebel@mit.edu / Professional Homepage

Hendrik Schatz: Lecture 4 "Rare isotopes in the multi-messenger astronomy era"

Hendrik Schatz is an experimental nuclear physicist whose research focuses mostly on accelerator experiments with radioactive beams that re-stage the same nuclear reactions that occur inside stars. He and his group also perform computer simulations of the nuclear reactions in stars. Their main interest right now are X-ray bursts, neutron star crusts, and the weak rapid neutron capture process in supernova explosions. He also enjoys roasting his own coffee and making German sausages.

schatz@nscl.msu.edu / Professional Homepage