catdynamics | January 25, 2012So you want to be an astrophysicist?
You've suffered through 3-4 years of undergrad, and you're ready for more.
You picked the places to apply to (or have you...?), and you're ready for the paperwork.
Another lightly retouched blast from the past...
So what do you do?
First you apply to the departments.
There are 35 astronomy departments in the US with a PhD program, and some sub-departments within physics departments.
As a rule, go directly to the department web site you are applying to and read carefully (ie do not go to the Graduate School at the University, until/if the department…
catdynamics | January 25, 2012interesting pair of stories on black hole discoveries
ok, so they're like so totally last year...
I'm trying to catch up
RXTE finds low mass black hole - claim it is just under 3 solar masses
intereting to contemplate how it came to be
well, either that or the object is further away or more luminous than previously thought
the other story is the Two ten-billion-solar-mass black holes at the centres of giant elliptical galaxies. claim
Most excellent.
Many years ago I was a co-author on a fun little paper where we postulated some interesting little effects IF ultramassive black holes (order…
catdynamics | January 20, 2012Exoclimes 2012 is over.
But, I belatedly found out that there conference was tweeted and liveblogged by a group at Exoclimes.com
Really, .com?
Not .org?!
Anyway, it is a good summary of the sessions.
Go wild.
catdynamics | January 19, 2012Exoclimes 2012 is wrapping up
I have been hanging out at Exoclimes 2012 this week, taking in the latest results on exoplanetary atmospheres, both observations and theory, as well as future prospects.
It is clearly a very active and rapidly expanding field with prospects for huge amounts of near/medium term data, and a qualitative improvement in our understanding of the atmospheric processes on extrasolar planets.
The meeting is at the Aspen Center for Physics, one of a series of seven workshops held this year in different physics subfields.
Exoclime 17th Jan 2012
In addition to hanging out…
catdynamics | January 19, 2012So, you want to be an astrophysicist? You're an undergraduate, doing astronomy or physics (or possibly engineering, mathematics or computer science, or something), should you go to grad school?
Another lightly reworked blast from the blog past
see also Rob's recent take at Galactic Interactions
Why is there even a question?
Well, it is several years of your life, earning minimal pay, doing some grind work, including classes (1-2 years at most institutions) and exams (most places have some "admission to candidacy" hoop), with interesting but uncertain career prospects.
And you have to do…
catdynamics | January 19, 2012The 2012 Crafoord Prizes in Astronomy and Mathematics were announced this morning.
Crafoord Prize 2012 Announcement
In Astronomy, Prof. Andrea Ghez, UCLA won for her patient and groundbreaking work on stellar dynamics in the core of the Milky Way and the robust mass measurement of the central black hole. Dr Genzel, MPIE, shared the prize for independent research on the same problem.
Stellar Orbits Around the Central Black Hole in the Milky Way (from Ghez et al)
Andrea's DeWolf lecture at ACP in 2010 (full 1 hour video from GrassRootsTV)
The Crafoord Prize, awarded by the Swedish Academy, is…
catdynamics | January 16, 2012So, now you're at university, and you're thinking about heading for grad school ...
More re-runs from Ye Olde Blogge
The following is horribly UScentric, 'cause that's where I am right now.
The general principles are broadly applicable, the actual getting into grad school procedure bit in future post will be both US and THEM centric.
Now what?
Caveat: these numbers are somewhat dated, but the shift is not large enough yet for me to bother re-searching them.
Each cohort in the US is about 4+ million people, about 4000 of those major in physics. Since participation in the further education in…
catdynamics | January 12, 2012You are at university.
Do you like stars, and stuff?
Another rehashed blast from the past
Should you do astronomy as an undergrad? (the following is in part shamelessly cribbed from a colleague's previous freshman seminar for our majors):
Do you like stars and stuff?
If not, you probably should look for an alternative to astronomy, on the general principle that at this stage of life you should at least try to do things you actually like.
If you do, good for you. Now, do you have the aptitude?
Professional astrophysics/astronomy is not about looking at stars per se (except at occasional…
catdynamics | January 12, 2012BBC reports Oxford Astronomy Prof Steven Rawlings found dead
"A 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. "
Oxford Mail has more details and updates.
Steve Rawlings
Update: may be coroner's inquest, not murder inquiry - Rawlings' widow says she thinks Dr Sivia (man initially held) is not guilty of murder and death was an accident.
catdynamics | January 11, 2012What should a high school student do to get on a track to become an astrophysicist?
Reworked from an oldie.
Yeah, it is cheap blogging, but moderately timely and fills space...
So, you're in high school wondering what to do with yourself, and you think: "hey, I could be an astrophysicist!"
So, what should YOU do, wanting to get into a good university and an astro/physics major?
1) Take all the math that is offered, and do well in it.
The limiting factor for most students wanting to do astronomy or astrophysics is poor math preparation in school. You need to get as far and as fast in calculus…
catdynamics | January 11, 2012ok, on a roll, so lets put out some must listen:
Blog Talk Radio interviews Bill "CR" McBride from the legendary Calculated Risk blog
on a completely different note:
The Must Have Billy Bragg and Wiggy podcast collection - linked to before, but can never be reminded of too often, 'cause there ain't nobody that can sing like him!
er, that's all I got for now
catdynamics | January 10, 2012some random links for your reading pleasure
Free SF Online - indexed, mostly shorts and audio podcasts.
Excellent way to get an intro to some new reads.
Then go out and buy the books.
eg Ted Chiang
David Brin
Greg Egan
On a different note:"5 things you should know before dating a scientist"
Chad has some good stuff going:
Shameless Innumeracy
Grumpy About Education
I have several hundred AAS press releases in my inbox, may get to reading some
catdynamics | January 6, 2012Some blogosphere buzz on SETI having found candidate signals during a search of Kepler candidate exoplanets, are NOT true.
Kepler-SETI interference
there is narrow band signal in some of the data, but it is terrestrial interference.
Nothing to see here.
catdynamics | December 23, 2011And, so, as this feast of Saint Thorlacius comes to an end, we await the arrival of the last of the yule lads the sneaky candle swiper hisself
Kertasníkir
The lads are bathed, a major achievement in and of itself, and ready for the grand finale
tomorrow night they leave town, but first their mother comes for a quick naughty-or-nice inspection
Grýla and Leppalúði
of course they do not stop at some token onion, potato or coal in the stocking,nah
Jólakötturinn
will hunt down the little miscreants and eat them.
Well, some of them, the rest are delivered to Grýla's sack and she gets to boil…
catdynamics | December 22, 2011The penultimate half-troll trundles into town today,
ready to pounce on the shoppers rushing home with their treasures
Ketrókur
he carries a big stick and he is not afraid to use it,
upon it is a hook with which he'll snag the who-beast shanks straight from the pot and scarf it up while it is hot
catdynamics | December 22, 2011getting ready for the grand finale,
the eleventh of the elven comes sidling into town
Gáttaþefur
He is well endowed this lad, and his long and sensitive proboscis will sniff out the christmas baking and he will swipe it if he can
he is hoping for some Laufabrauð
nom nom nom
catdynamics | December 21, 2011Books, of course, but which books...?
One of these "be careful what you wish for" things, is that I now get a lot of requests to review books (and DVDs and online games etc), just as I reach the stage of my life where I spend most of my time doing reading reformatting paperwork instead of reading fun new things... which is a shame, because the books I get sent are pretty much generally exactly those I spent most of my very limited disposable income on when I was younger...
One day soon I'll catch up on the backlog.
In the meantime, here are three good looking physics books that any good…
catdynamics | December 21, 2011bit naughty this half-troll is
Gluggagægir likes to peep through your window late at night and see wassup
he's a sweety, really he is, just checking on whether you've been naughty as we get closer to the big day
catdynamics | December 21, 2011Interpretative Dance of Astrobiology
It is your job to do that.
The interpretive dance of astrobiology, that is.
FameLab Astrobiology
An official competition with prizes and stuff:
"FameLab Astrobiology is a science communication extravaganza! Via four preliminary and one final competition--all in the course of four months--early career astrobiologists will compete to convey their own research or related science concepts. Each contestant has the spotlight for only three minutes. No slides, no charts--just the power of words and anything you can hold in your hands. A panel of experts in both…