by Victor Davis, Program Chair
May Meeting
The May, 2024 meeting of the AAAP will take place in Peyton Hall on the campus of Princeton University on Tuesday, May 14th at 7:30 PM. As usual, the meeting is open to AAAP members and the public. Participants can join the meeting in-person at Peyton Hall or log in to the Zoom session as early as 7:00 pm to chat informally before the meeting begins. This evening’s guest speaker is Tea Temim, Research Astronomer in Princeton University’s Department of Astrophysics. She will describe her work using JWST imagery to study supernova remnants. Center.
Options for Attending the Meeting
You may choose to attend the meeting in person or participate via Zoom or YouTube as we’ve been doing for the past few years. (See How to Participate below for details). Due to security concerns, if you log in before the host has set up internet connectivity in Peyton Hall, you may need to wait in the Waiting Room for a few minutes until the host is prepared to admit you into the meeting. You’ll need to unmute yourself to make comments or ask questions. It’s polite, though not required, for you to enable your camera so other participants can see you. A week or so after the meeting, the video of the lecture and Q&A will be posted on AAAP’s public YouTube channel.
Meet the Speaker Dinner
The club will host a “Meet the Speaker” dinner at Winberie’s Bar and Restaurant, 1 Palmer Square, Princeton, NJ, just across the street from the campus of Princeton University. The reservation is prior to the meeting on May 14th at 5:45 pm. Please contact the Program Chair if you plan to attend.
Here’s the anticipated agenda for May, 2024’s monthly meeting of the AAAP:
Getting to Peyton Hall
The parking lots across the street (Ivy Lane) from Peyton Hall are now construction sites, unavailable for parking. We’ve been advised by the administration of the astrophysics department that we should park in the new enclosed parking garage off Fitzrandolph street and walk around the stadium and athletic fields. Here’s a map of the campus and walking routes from the parking garage to Peyton Hall. The map shows the recently completed East Garage. Not shown is an access road Sweet Gum that connects from Faculty Road to an entrance at the lower left corner of the garage. Stadium Road connects from Fitzrandolph Road to another entrance at the opposite corner (and higher level) of the garage. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the parking garage to Peyton Hall.
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Tea Temim
Research Astronomer
Department of Astrophysics, Princeton University
temim@astro.princeton.edu
Peering into Supernova Explosions with JWST
Supernova explosions are among the most energetic events in the universe and they play a key role in shaping the energy balance, structure, and chemical content of galaxies. They are responsible for the formation and distribution of heavy elements and dust grains that enrich the environments in which they evolve. Moreover, these explosions leave behind compact objects whose high densities and magnetic field strengths represent matter under some of the most extreme conditions known, while some serve as “standard candles” with a crucial role in determining cosmic distances and the expansion history of the Universe.
Despite their great importance in astrophysics, key questions remain about what type of stars produce supernovae and how they explode. In its first year of observations, JWST has provided an unprecedented view of supernova explosions, allowing us to peer into the deepest layers of ejected material, illuminating early dust formation, and revealing remarkable, never-before-seen details in the structure of young supernova remnants. Dr. Temim will review some of these recent JWST observations and what they tell us about supernova explosions.
Tea Temim
Dr. Temim earned her PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2009. She was subsequently a predoctoral fellow then a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Astrophysics/Harvard and Smithsonian. She was a research scientist and postdoctoral fellow at NASA Goddard. She recently worked on JWST’s Mid-infrared Instrument (MIRI) at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).
Her research focuses on understanding how supernova explosions of massive stars affect their environment and enrich the interstellar medium. She is particularly interested in the evolution of supernova remnants and pulsar winds, the connection between stellar progenitors and explosions and their observed remnants, dust production and processing by supernovae, and dust evolution in galaxies.
How to Participate (Links)
Join Zoom Meeting. Click here for the link.
Join YouTube Live. Click here for the link.
A look ahead at future guest speakers:
| Date | Featured Speaker | Topic | |
| June 11 2024 | NJ State Museum planetarium’s Bill Murray, and Jacob Hamer, Assistant Curator | AAAP’s traditional annual pilgrimage to the NJ State Museum planetarium in Trenton, where members will experience a presentation and a preview of the planetarium’s latest sky show. |
As always, members’ comments and suggestions are gratefully accepted and much appreciated.
victor.davis@verizon.net
program@princetonastronomy.org
(908) 581-1780 cell
