IAS Public talk – Rings of Promise: Exploring Planet-Forming Discs
November 24 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Abstract
One of the open questions in modern day astronomy is how do planets like our own form. A key component in answering this is to better understand the natal environments of the planets that we see, protoplanetary discs. At the centre of these vast discs of gas and dust, that can extend up to hundreds of AU in radius, is a still evolving central star. The ways in which the physics of these star and discs interact with one another and evolve is a highly active and complex area of research with important implications for our theories of planet and star formation. In this talk I will give an introduction into the topic of protoplanetary discs and describe my research in the field as part of my PhD in University College Dublin (UCD). I will also talk about the end of the successful story of EIRSAT-1, Ireland’s first satellite, of which I was a part of.
Bio
Hi! My name is Aaron Empey, I am a final year PhD student in star formation group at University College Dublin (UCD). My story started the same as many others with a fascination of looking up at the stars as a child and wondering what was going on behind it all. I went on to study a bachelor’s degree in Physics with Astronomy and Space Science in UCD which I graduated from in 2022. Following on from this, I began the 4 year journey of a PhD in the area of star formation, but with a focus on the protoplanetary discs and studying their properties using data mainly from the European Southern Observatory (ESO)’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). I am now at the final stage of my PhD journey and am looking forward to discussing the topic of protoplanetary discs with you all, why I think they are interesting and some of the work I have done in the field.
During my time in UCD I have also been fortunate enough to be a part of the EIRSAT-1 team, Ireland’s first satellite. I was involved with the day to day operations EIRSAT-1 while still in orbit. Having recently de-orbited I will also briefly talk about the story of this successful project and its end of mission. Add to calendar
Details
- Date: November 24
- Time: 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Location: Beech Hill, UCD, Eircode: D04 P7W1 · Dublin