Reconstructing Our Galactic Story with Stellar Sound

Why are we here? Although we may think we know our place in the Galaxy, the Sun was likely born far from where it resides today. In recent years, ESA’s space-based Gaia satellite and NASA’s K2, Kepler, and TESS missions have helped to uncover not only our own Sun’s history but that of our stellar neighbors. While the field of Galactic archaeology has uncovered some of the stories of our Galaxy, decades-old mysteries still remain about how the Galaxy formed and evolved --- touching on larger, age-old questions of why life exists.

In this talk, we will explore how stellar sound waves are revealing the origins of the Milky Way and our place in it. From the Sun's home here in the Galaxy's disc to the graveyard of disintegrated galaxies surrounding us, we will tour through the halls of the Milky Way as seen by ESA and NASA missions. Along the way, we will retrace how generations of stars have set the stage for life here and elsewhere in the Galaxy. We will also preview how upcoming space-based missions may unearth secrets of the oldest regions of the Galaxy.

Speaker: Joel Zinn, CSU Long Beach