The Fast Radio Sky: A New Window on the Violent Universe - Livestream

 

When we look at the night sky, we see a backdrop that appears timeless and unchanging.  However, in reality, the Universe is teeming with activity -- often explosive and cataclysmic.  One recently recognized celestial phenomenon is that of "Fast Radio Bursts":  very short bursts of radio light coming from far outside our Milky Way galaxy, and representing explosions of enormous proportion.  Their origin is presently unknown.  Dr. Kaspi will describe the Fast Radio Burst phenomenon, and explain how an innovative new Canadian radio telescope, CHIME, is making huge progress in unravelling these mysterious cosmic events. 

Speaker: Victoria Kaspi holds the Lorne Trottier Chair in Astrophysics and Cosmology at McGill University

Watch the lecture here.