CSC/SETI Institute Colloquium Series

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• The colloquiums are free and open to the public, and run from noon to 1 pm on Wednesdays at the SETI Institute, 515 N. Whisman Road, Mountain View, California.

• Archive of past lectures, videos, slides: 2010, 2009, 2008/2007

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poster for month of February 2010

Observing String Multiverse with Astrophysical Black Holes

Sergei Dubovsky, Stanford University Institute For Theoretical Physics

One of the most intriguing and controversial recent ideas in cosmology and string theory is that the Universe is highly inhomogeneous on the length scales much longer than its currently observable part, with many of the fundamental "constants" of Nature varying on the ultra-long length scales. Our location in this cosmic landscape is to a large extent determined by requiring that the local particle physics parameters should allow for life to develop. Dr. Dubovsky will review the origin of these ideas and explain how they can be supported by the near future observations of astrophysical black holes.

Asteroseismology in the era of CoRoT and Kepler space missions

Conny Aerts, University of Leuven, Belgium

After a general introduction into the research field of asteroseismology, we review the highlights achieved from multi-site ground-based campaigns dedicated to carefully selected targets. We show how asteroseismology has the potential to improve stellar evolution models to a level that cannot be achieved by any other method so far. Subsequently, we discuss several results from the operational French-led European space mission CoRoT (Convection, Rotation, planetary Transits) for various types of stars and illustrate the immense advantage of having long-term uninterrupted data from space with a factor 100 better precision compared to data from the ground. Finally, we will highlight the next step expected in this research, based on data assembled by the space mission Kepler (NASA) which has been designed primarily for exoplanet hunting. This mission, along with the future ESA PLATO satellite project, will allow us to do asteroseismology of numerous exoplanet host stars.

02/24/2010

The Habitability of the Phoenix Landing Site

Carol Stoker, Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames

Dr. Carol Stoker was a member of the Mars Phoenix Lander team that landed a robot in the polar regions of Mars. Dr. Stoker will present an analysis of results from the Mars Phoenix mission to the North Polar region of Mars that shows that conditions are probably habitable for life in modern times at this location.

How to Build Cost-Optimized Interstellar Beacons (and How to Search for Them)

James Benford, Microwave Sciences, Inc.

How would we on Earth build galactic-scale Beacons to attract the attention of extraterrestrials? An optimum tradeoff emerges by minimizing the cost of producing power density at long range. James Benford will show scaling, examples and costs. If ETI were to build a cost-optimum interstellar Beacon, how should we look for it? Jim will propose SETI search strategies, a new test for SETI Beacons and describe how observers can differentiate Beacons from pulsars or other exotic sources.

03/10

Astrobiology of Basaltic glass in the oceanic basins: a source for early life nutrients?

Brad Bailey

Brad Bailey will explain how basaltic glass could be a source of energy and/or nutrients for early life. This has enormous Astrobiological implications as recent work has shown that Earth’s late heavy bombardment period would not have been energetic enough to completely sterilize the Earth’s surface and life may have been preserved through this period by residing within the deep crust. Fresh basaltic glass contains a significant amount of reducing potential and could therefore be a primary mechanism for providing energy to biological systems in addition to being a source for limiting nutrients such as phosphates. Ultimately, understanding the interplay between biological and geological systems will help us understand water-rock interactions and the global geochemical seawater budget.

03/17

What clays can tell us about past climate at Mawrth Vallis, Mars

Nancy McKeown

Mawrth Vallis has one of the largest exposures of phyllosilicates on Mars. Originally observed by OMEGA, CRISM has refined the detections and allowed positive identification of several phyllosilicate minerals including nontronite, montmorillonite, and kaolinite, as well as hydrated silica, based on their distinct spectral characteristics. The textures and morphologies of these units have been characterized using HiRISE imagery. Nancy McKeown will discuss the identification and mapping of these phyllosilicates and their implications for past climate at Mawrth Vallis.

03/24

Exploring the Habitability of Icy Worlds: The Europa Jupiter System Mission

Bob Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA and ESA have recently selected the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) as the next Flagship mission to the out solar system. The mission concept consists of a NASA-led Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) and an ESA-led Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO), which would execute a choreographed exploration of the Jupiter System before entering orbit around Europa and Ganymede, respectively. The mission's overall theme is: "The emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants," and JEO would focus on Europa with the goal: "Explore Europa to investigate its habitability." While the primary focus of JEO is to orbit Europa, the science return encompasses the entire Jovian system, especially as is relevant to the potential habitability of Europa. EJSM would shed new light on the potential habitability of icy worlds in our solar system and beyond.

03/31/2010

Primordial Ice Reservoirs of the Solar System

David Jewitt, Department of Earth & Space Sciences and Inst. Geophys. and Planetary Physics, UCLA

We now know that ice in the solar system resides in at least three distinct reservoirs, known as the Oort cloud, the Kuiper belt and the main-belt comets. Dr. Jewitt will discuss the nature, distribution and significance of the ice, highlighting its connection to the formation epoch, in a style intended to be sweeping and broadly accessible.

04/07/2010

Starship Life Support

Harry Jones, NASA Ames Research Center

Dr. Jones will report on the design and cost of a starship, with emphasis on life support systems. He will describe a multigenerational interstellar voyage to colonize a new planet. Nuclear propulsion is required. The mission is more feasible if a small crew travels slowly and lands with minimal equipment. Growing food is about as expensive as taking dehydrated food. Highly reliable life support can be achieved by providing spare parts and full systems. One small slow multigenerational interstellar voyage to colonize a new planet would cost about as much as the Apollo program. We can go to the stars!

04/14/2010

Marine Biodiversity and Pretty Pictures: A Report from Indonesia's Raja Ampat

Mark Showalter, SETI Institute

When SETI astronomer Mark Showalter is not looking up at Saturn and its rings, he prefers to spend his time looking down, preferably through the viewfinder of his underwater camera. Mark will present a slide show from his recent visit to Raja Ampat, a remote dive site in Indonesia recognized as having the highest marine biodiversity of any place on Earth.

04/21/2010

Titan: Outer-Planet Moon of Mystery

Jeff Moore, Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center

04/28/2010

Titan: Outer-Planet Moon of Mystery

Farid Salama, NASA Ames Space Science Division

Modeling the Effects of the Interstellar Medium on Engineered Signals of Extraterrestrial Origin

Dr. Samantha Blair, SETI Institute

Dr. Blair will discuss the impairments that can be imposed on signals of technological origin traveling through the interstellar medium (ISM). The ISM contains ionized regions where fluctuations in the electron density have a significant effect on signals propagating through the medium. Techniques developed by pulsar researchers over the last 2-3 decades were used to characterize the impact of these effects on engineered as opposed to natural signals like pulsars, and in particular, seek insights into the types of signals to expect based on their susceptibility to ISM propagation impairments.

Latest results from the Mars Phoenix Lander Microscope

John Marshall, SETI Institute

Dr. John Marshall was a member of the Mars Phoenix Lander team that successfully landed in the north polar region of Mars last year. He will describe the data gathered by the microscope instrument which examined soil and ice from the landing site of the robot. Dr. Marshall will present the implications for geological and biological history of the Vastitas Borealis formation.

05/26/2010

The Maunder Minimum: Astrophysical Connection to Climate Change

Dan Lubin