Space Science & Astrobiology Division Seminar
N245 Auditorium Room 272
Thursday, May 31, 2018, 3:00 PM
Speaker: Kimberly Ennico Smith & Harold Yorke
Abstract: SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, allows observations in the near to far infrared wavelength regime not possible from the ground. The state-of-the-art infrared instrumentation, several cameras, spectrometers and a new polarimetric capability, enables detailed studies of the kinematics and structure of star and planet forming regions, significantly enhancing data from ALMA, SPITZER, Herschel and other major facilities. This talk will summarize the current and future capabilities of the observatory and briefly describe some of the most recent scientific results that are contributing in a major way to our understanding of how stars and planets actually form. The particular focus of this talk will be on the infall of material forming stars and planets rather than outflows.