Seeing the Invisible: Astronomical Radio Waves - Nitika Yadlapalli - 05/26/2023

Beyond our visible view of stars and galaxies, what does the sky look like in radio waves? How do radio telescopes work to reveal these strange astronomical phenomena? Join us for a 30-minute lecture investigating the invisible universe of radio astronomy, followed by a panel Q&A consisting of several astrophysicists to answer your questions about space science. Timestamps below:
00:00 Stream Start
00:12 Announcements
04:57 Intro to Radio Astronomy Presentation
06:05 Radio Astronomy Presentation
30:20 Q&A for Radio Astronomy Presentation
30:42 "Why don't radio telescopes take pictures?"
33:45 "What's a day in the life of a radio astronomer?"
35:27 "What are the different types of radio antennae?"
37:11 "How does the Deep Space Network connect via radio waves through cloud cover?"
39:43 "Is there a lot of radio interferometry in use today?"
42:47 Intermission
45:17 Q&A Panel Introductions
51:15 "What do galaxies look like at the end of their lives?"
57:15 "Why do galaxies contain supermassive black holes?"
59:33 "How long will the SN 2023ixf remain bright?"
1:02:12 "How will astronomers handle the large amount of data coming from next-generation telescopes?"
1:09:01 "What other wavelengths of light have been detected for SN 2023ixf?"
1:10:52 "How do black holes look in radio waves?"
1:15:10 "What is the next big radio telescope?"
1:21:55 "Do radio waves diminish in space? Are they influenced by redshift?"
1:25:12 "Do radio waves get bent through gravitational lenses?"
1:29:58 "How does matter get ejected from black holes?"
1:32:25 "What are your opinions on the movie Contact?"
1:37:37 "Do radio astronomers 'listen' to their data like in Contact?"
1:40:07 "Can you ever witness something falling into a black hole?"
1:44:57 "Are scientists using AI in their research?"
1:49:23 "Why do radio waves travel differently at night?"
1:53:06 "Which came first: stars or black holes?"
1:56:00 Concluding Remarks
Title: Seeing the Invisible: Astronomical Radio Waves
Speaker: Nitika Yadlapalli
Abstract:
Humans can only see a narrow range of wavelengths of light, but the electromagnetic spectrum of light covers a much broader range. Radio telescopes can "see" many objects in space that our eyes cannot, including flashes given off by highly magnetic stars, energetic jets erupting from black holes, and radiation emitted from supernovae. But how do these radio telescopes work and how can we build one? Over the last several years, I have been working on a new radio telescope called SPRITE in the desert north of Los Angeles. I will discuss how this telescope works, how we built it, and how we can use it to make new astronomical discoveries.

[@person_die_existiert]

Amazing video! I'm a 18 year old German who's spending much thought into what to study at university. I'm very much considering picking physics so I can continue with astrophysics. It's poor that the astronomy scene in Germany is quite nonexistent though. I love the public speeches on this account, they're very inspiring! 👍

[@CaltechAstro]

Thanks for the kind words. Fear not--there's some great astronomy/astrophysics being done in Germany! It's one of the premier locations in Europe for astronomy. The cities that jump to mind are Heidelberg, Garching (outside of Munich), Bonn, Potsdam, and Hamburg, but I'm sure I'm missing lots. Much of that astronomy research is at Max Planck institutes, but there are several universities where you could get involved too: Heidelberg University, Ludwig Maximilian University, etc. It's something to consider anyway. Good luck in whatever path you choose!

[@person_die_existiert]

@@CaltechAstro I didn't expect such a kind answer. I've looked at some universities, the ones in Munich and Bonn were my favorites so far, as those are public and affordable. But I haven't even heard of the other half! Many more ideas and possibilities to put into consideration! Thank you :)