Event details
Apr
17
The 48th Annual Donald R. Hamilton Lecture
Department of Physics
“The Search for the Most Distant Galaxies”
Thursday, April 17
6 p.m.
McDonnell Hall, A-02 Auditorium, Princeton University
Marcia Rieke, Regents’ Professor of Astronomy and Dr. Elizabeth Roemer endowed Chair Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
will deliver the Department of Physics 48th Annual Donald R. Hamilton Lecture.
The James Webb Space Telescope was called the "First Light Machine" when it was being studied as a potential NASA mission. It quickly became obvious that it would be impossible to prove that the "first" galaxy had been seen, but much more promising was looking for the most distant galaxies possible. This goal led astronomers to design a suite of instruments for the telescope that are optimized for looking for very faint galaxies at infrared wavelengths -- infrared is required because the expansion of the Universe moves the ultraviolet-visible output of galaxies to longer wavelengths.
We have succeeded at finding galaxies seen at an age of only 290 million years after the Big Bang. Such distant galaxies are proving to have unexpected properties that challenge our ideas of how stars are formed in these first galaxies.
The lecture is free and open to the public (no tickets are required).
For more information about the Department of Physics events and the Hamilton lecture, visit the Physics Department website.
“The Search for the Most Distant Galaxies”
Thursday, April 17
6 p.m.
McDonnell Hall, A-02 Auditorium, Princeton University
Marcia Rieke, Regents’ Professor of Astronomy and Dr. Elizabeth Roemer endowed Chair Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
will deliver the Department of Physics 48th Annual Donald R. Hamilton Lecture.
The James Webb Space Telescope was called the "First Light Machine" when it was being studied as a potential NASA mission. It quickly became obvious that it would be impossible to prove that the "first" galaxy had been seen, but much more promising was looking for the most distant galaxies possible. This goal led astronomers to design a suite of instruments for the telescope that are optimized for looking for very faint galaxies at infrared wavelengths -- infrared is required because the expansion of the Universe moves the ultraviolet-visible output of galaxies to longer wavelengths.
We have succeeded at finding galaxies seen at an age of only 290 million years after the Big Bang. Such distant galaxies are proving to have unexpected properties that challenge our ideas of how stars are formed in these first galaxies.
The lecture is free and open to the public (no tickets are required).
For more information about the Department of Physics events and the Hamilton lecture, visit the Physics Department website.
Speakers
Marcia Rieke
University programs and activities are open to all eligible participants without regard to identity or other protected characteristics. Sponsorship of an event does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.