Astronomy Colloquium: Kelsey Johnson
Date: Thu. December 13th, 2018, 3:00 pm-4:00 pmLocation: Sears 552
How were the most ancient objects in the universe formed?
Kelsey Johnson (University of Virginia / NRAO)
Ancient remnants from the early universe surround our galaxy. These relics, known as “globular clusters” have the potential to provide insight into the physical conditions that prevailed during an epoch that cannot be directly observed. We now know that globular clusters can form during extreme episodes of star formation in the relatively nearby universe, but the actual physical conditions that give rise to globular clusters have vexed both observers and theorists for decades. I will overview the discovery and follow-up of pre-natal globular clusters ALMA, which allow us to probe their environment before stars have formed. In addition, I will discuss chemical trends we are seeing that may track the evolution of clusters, and discuss the importance of using chemistry to understand physical conditions in space.