Astrophysics Speaker Series - May

Most observations of our Universe are done using various wavelengths of light, ranging from radio waves to gamma rays. But light can only teach us so much. We are entering a new era of multi-messenger astronomy, and gaining new insight into the mysteries of the Universe. Neutrinos are one of these new “messengers.” These ghostly particles rarely interact with matter in conditions found on Earth but in large enough numbers are able to influence the evolution and explosion of massive stars. In this talk, Kelly Patton will introduce the neutrino, describe its role in astrophysics, and show how they offer a new window into environments we can’t study with light alone.

Kelly Patton is a theoretical and computational nuclear astrophysicist who studies the ways neutrinos can teach us about complex systems. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Kelly got her BA in physics at the College of Wooster, followed by a PhD at North Carolina State University. She held postdoctoral positions at Arizona State University and the Institute for Nuclear Theory, as well as a visiting professorship at Colby College. Her current work is focused on predicting the neutrino signal of massive stars at the end of their life cycle.