Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Colloquium: The Last Supernova Ever

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ast colloquium matt caplan

Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Colloquium
The Last Supernova Ever

Dr. Matt Caplan
Professor of Physics
Illinois State University

Register Here for Zoom Link

Abstract
:

The vast majority of all stars in the universe will end their lives as white dwarfs, but what about after that? We now know that the universe will expand forever, asymptotically cooling to absolute zero as it reaches ‘heat death.’ What happens to these white dwarfs over billions, or even trillions or quadrillions of years? This talk will discuss the evolution of white dwarf stars as they cool and freeze, as well as the physics that may cause the most massive white dwarfs to explode in supernova in the far future. These ‘black dwarf supernovae’ may take 10^1000 years to occur, and could possibly be the last interesting thing to happen in our universe.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Caplan has been a professor of physics at Illinois State University since 2019, where he studies the interiors of white dwarfs and neutron stars. He completed his bachelors at the University of Virginia and his PhD at Indiana University, after which he was a Fellow at the McGill Space Institute. Beyond academia, he is also a script writer for YouTube channels including PBS SpaceTime and Kurzgesagt In A Nutshell.

Intended Audience:
All are welcome. Those with interest in the topic.

To request an interpreter, please visit myaccess.rit.edu


Contact
Cheryl Merrell
Event Snapshot
When and Where
February 21, 2022
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Room/Location: See Zoom Registration Link
Who

This is an RIT Only Event

Interpreter Requested?

No

Topics
research