From Light to Insight: Discovering the Evolving Universe with Big Eyes and Big Data

Event Date:
2024-12-02T16:00:00
2024-12-02T17:00:00
Event Location:
HENN 318
Speaker:
Jennifer Y. H. Chan, postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto
Related Upcoming Events:
Astronomy Colloquia
Intended Audience:
Everyone
Local Contact:

Allison Man (aman@phas.ubc.ca) and Brett Gladman (gladman@astro.ubc.ca)

All are welcome to this event!

Event Information:

Abstract:
Have you ever wondered how we can glimpse what the Universe looked like billions of years ago or understand our place in the cosmos without ever leaving the Milky Way? This remarkable understanding comes from studying cosmic radiation—such as radio waves—that reaches us from across space. Analyzing how this radiation encodes information is key to using the Universe as a natural laboratory to address fundamental questions: How did the Universe evolve to its current state? What shaped the formation and growth of stars, galaxies, and the intricate web of plasma linking galaxies, interwoven with magnetic fields?

In recent years, large-scale sky surveys ("Big Data") conducted by modern radio telescopes ("Big Eyes") have revolutionized our ability to map the Universe across time and space.

In this talk, I will explore the state of the field in understanding the evolving Universe, with a focus on probing magnetic fields and gas using cosmic radiation. I will discuss how radiation transport in an expanding Universe—known as cosmological radiative transfer—enables us to:

    • Draw meaningful comparisons between observational data and theoretical predictions, driving discoveries about cosmic magnetic fields and gas ionization on cosmological scales.
    • Push beyond the limits of traditional methods.
    • Provide valuable insights, tools, and data for frontier research and STEM outreach.

Join me in this exploration as we uncover how light transforms into profound cosmic insights, revealing the Universe’s intricate story.

Bio:

Jennifer Chan is a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, supported by joint CITA and University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science fellowships. She earned her Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Astrophysics from University College London, and a Bachelor's in Physics from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on investigating the origins, evolution, and properties of large-scale magnetic fields in the Universe, essential for understanding their impact on cosmic structures. She also studies cosmological reionization, the transition of the Universe from a neutral state to a highly ionized intergalactic medium, which shaped the vast cosmic web connecting galaxies. To advance these studies, she develops tools that bridge theory and observation in the fields of cosmic magnetism and reionization, such as covariant cosmological radiative transfer formalisms, which accurately model the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through different astrophysical environments in an expanding, evolving Universe. 

Learn More:

Links to sky mapping groups:

Add to Calendar 2024-12-02T16:00:00 2024-12-02T17:00:00 From Light to Insight: Discovering the Evolving Universe with Big Eyes and Big Data Event Information: Abstract:Have you ever wondered how we can glimpse what the Universe looked like billions of years ago or understand our place in the cosmos without ever leaving the Milky Way? This remarkable understanding comes from studying cosmic radiation—such as radio waves—that reaches us from across space. Analyzing how this radiation encodes information is key to using the Universe as a natural laboratory to address fundamental questions: How did the Universe evolve to its current state? What shaped the formation and growth of stars, galaxies, and the intricate web of plasma linking galaxies, interwoven with magnetic fields? In recent years, large-scale sky surveys ("Big Data") conducted by modern radio telescopes ("Big Eyes") have revolutionized our ability to map the Universe across time and space. In this talk, I will explore the state of the field in understanding the evolving Universe, with a focus on probing magnetic fields and gas using cosmic radiation. I will discuss how radiation transport in an expanding Universe—known as cosmological radiative transfer—enables us to:     • Draw meaningful comparisons between observational data and theoretical predictions, driving discoveries about cosmic magnetic fields and gas ionization on cosmological scales.    • Push beyond the limits of traditional methods.    • Provide valuable insights, tools, and data for frontier research and STEM outreach. Join me in this exploration as we uncover how light transforms into profound cosmic insights, revealing the Universe’s intricate story. Bio: Jennifer Chan is a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, supported by joint CITA and University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science fellowships. She earned her Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Astrophysics from University College London, and a Bachelor's in Physics from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on investigating the origins, evolution, and properties of large-scale magnetic fields in the Universe, essential for understanding their impact on cosmic structures. She also studies cosmological reionization, the transition of the Universe from a neutral state to a highly ionized intergalactic medium, which shaped the vast cosmic web connecting galaxies. To advance these studies, she develops tools that bridge theory and observation in the fields of cosmic magnetism and reionization, such as covariant cosmological radiative transfer formalisms, which accurately model the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through different astrophysical environments in an expanding, evolving Universe.  Learn More: See her page at the Dunlap Institute: https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/dunlap-people/jennifer-chan/  Read this special biography from the University of Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/astrophysics-centre/events/astroseminar-jennifer-chan-person  Read this article: "Dr. Jennifer Y.H. Chan CITA Postdoctoral Fellow, is awarded the 2020 Michael Penston Thesis Prize": https://www.cita.utoronto.ca/jennifer-y-h-chan-cita-postdoctoral-fellow-awarded-2020-michael-penston-thesis-prize/  Links to sky mapping groups: National Radio Astronomy Observatory VLA Sky Survey: https://science.nrao.edu/science/surveys/vlass  SLOAN digital Sky surveys: https://www.sdss4.org/surveys/  Large surveys at NOIRLab: https://noirlab.edu/science/data-services/surveys  Read this article: "Very Large radio surveys of the sky": https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.96.9.4756   Event Location: HENN 318