FACULTY CONTACT: Hans Mueller
[more]Space observatories are finding more and more stars that lose some of their atmosphere in the form of a stellar wind (like our Sun’s solar wind) which interacts with the ever-present interstellar gas in such a way that bow shocks and other interaction features light up. The project focuses on simulating this stellar wind / dense interstellar gas interaction in 3D, synthesizing observables numerically, and then comparing them to the observations to explore the physics of the interaction.
[more]The focus of this project is the solar wind, a steady plasma stream of solar atmosphere lost by the Sun and blowing past the planets. Spacecraft have measured the solar wind for many decades. All but one spacecraft observe in the ecliptic plane (Earth’s orbital plane).
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Cassiopeia A, a supernova that exploded 340 years ago, seems to have a bubbly interior. Prof. Rob Fesen and former student Dan Milisavljevic explain why.
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The Astronomy FSP checks in from South Africa: Between astronomy lectures and labs, students tour the Cape Peninsula. Prof. Brian Chaboyer reports "perfect weather, lots of great scenery and beaches, along with many penguins."
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