Astrophysics

Abstract: Recently, many results concerning stable big bang formation have appeared. Most of the results concern stability of spatially homogeneous and isotropic solutions. However, a recent result of Fournodavlos, Rodnianski and Speck (FRS) covers...

Motivated by explosive releases of energy in fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas, this talk considers the nonlinear stability of stratified magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibria in 2D. I demonstrate that, unlike the Schwarzschild criterion in...

Black holes (BHs) can be described as astrophysical particle accelerators because finite-energy particles in free fall can collide with diverging center-of-mass (CM) energy near the horizon. Here we examine the case of high energy collisions which...

Abstract: Muon colliders offer a unique path to multi-TeV, high-luminosity lepton collisions. Muon collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 10 TeV or above would offer significant discovery potential where the constituent collision energies exceed...

Star formation histories (SFHs) encode the rich and complex evolution of galaxies over cosmic time. In recent years, we have made significant progress in understanding SFHs, thanks to a combination of new observational data, theoretical insights...

SPHEREx, an upcoming NASA medium-class Explorer Mission, will perform the first all-sky near infrared spectral survey. With a targeted launch date in early 2025, SPHEREx will map the entire sky at 6.2 arcsec from 0.75 to 5μm with a spectral...

The Astro2020 Decadal Report recognized that 21st Century astrophysics required matched coverage across the electromagnetic spectrum. To create that coverage Astro2020 recommended a set of three Great Observatories: X-ray, IR/O/UV, and Mid-Far-IR.
Un...

In this talk, I will review recent progress in understanding the complex multi-scale plasma physics of neutron star magnetospheres through the lens of first-principles particle-in-cell simulations. I will highlight pair production discharges near...

Asteroids are not just potato-shaped lumps of rock. Instead they are deeply involved in several Big Questions that engage our love of knowledge - the origin and history of the Solar System, the origin of the oceans, the origin of life, and the...