Event Details

Dr. Michael Rutkowski, Assistant Professor, Minnesota State University Mankato, will present a seminar "UV Astronomy: Are we entering a new Dark Age?"

Ultraviolet observations of galaxies are required to solve a number of fundamental, unanswered questions in modern astrophysics. In this topical seminar, I will discuss a number of UV-optical-near IR surveys that provide novel constraints on some of these outstanding questions. Specifically, I will highlight the utility of UV observations of 1) OVI emission in the circumgalactic medium of starburst galaxies, 2) star-forming galaxies at the rest-frame Lyman continuum regime, and 3) quiescent galaxies at intermediate redshift for understanding the cosmic history metals, reionization, and the hierarchical assembly, respectively. I will conclude with a discussion of efforts to develop new, and extend the life of existing, UV assets in space into the 2020s and (hopefully) beyond. 

Snacks at 3 PM.