Event Details

Macalester Assistant Visiting Professor Christopher West is speaking on “Tracking the Abundances: Chemical History of the Weak S-process.”

Shortly after the Big Bang, all matter was either hydrogen or helium. Now, however, we enjoy a Universe filled with 287 stable isotopic abundances. Just how did that happen? The answer to this question lies at the intersection of galactic evolution, stellar nucleosynthesis, and nuclear astrophysics.  In pursuit of this answer, many interesting stories can be found and written.

Today we will explore one of them: the tale of the weak s-process in massive stars. Within the context of this nucleosynthetic process, we will identify several unfinished narratives that connect seemingly disparate astrophysical story-arcs together into interesting research.

From theoretical tasks in computation, simulations, and analytical equation solving to experimental tools using statistical methods and data analysis, the chemical evolution of our Universe presents a broad path for the curious, with many rewards found in the journey together.

Snacks at 3.