Stellar Pulsations and Observations from Space

  • CART Astrophysics Seminar Series

April 16, 2026 2:00 PM - April 16, 2026 3:00 PM
PAIS 3205

Host:
Diana Dragomir
Presenter:
Joyce Guzik (LANL)
Stellar astronomy research has undergone a renaissance since the 1980s, facilitated in part by the NASA Kepler and TESS spacecraft exoplanet discovery missions.  The number of variable star classes has greatly increased, and the observations reveal that stars of nearly every mass and evolutionary stage show pulsational variability.  This talk will describe why stars pulsate, and how oscillations of the Sun and stars can be used to infer global and interior properties and test the physics of stellar models.  We conclude by discussing ongoing TESS observations for alpha Cygni variables including the bright supergiants Deneb and Rigel.

Upcoming Events

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PAIS 1100

Department Convocation
Kathrin Spendier, PhD
Special Talk
May. 16, 12:00 PM - May. 16, 2:00 PM
PAIS 1100 and Lobby