Twists and Turns While Searching for Strange Stars

Thursday, March 14, 7-9 p.m.

Johnson Geo Centre, Signal Hill

Please join us for the 2024 Elizabeth R. Laird Public Lecture, presented by Dr. Anna O’Grady, postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University.

Abstract: The scientific method, as we learned in school, involves making a hypothesis and testing it to come to a final conclusion. But have you ever wondered what happens when the conclusions are different than expected? In this talk, I’ll walk you through the process of trying to find Thorne-Zytkow Objects — supergiant stars that have swallowed neutron stars. I’ll explain how I identified and analyzed a group of interesting stars in another galaxy, and the unexpected twist along the way.

Bio: Anna O’Grady is a McWilliams postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She completed her PhD in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Toronto, and her BSc in physics and applied math at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Anna’s research involves observations of stellar populations in nearby galaxies, and uses those observations to put constraints on rare or unknown classes of massive stars.

No pre-registration required. Free public lecture.

Reception to follow.

Presented by Johnson Geo Centre & Department of Physics & Physical Oceanography

Event Listing 2024-03-14 19:00:00 2024-03-14 21:00:00 America/St_Johns Twists and Turns While Searching for Strange Stars Please join us for the 2024 Elizabeth R. Laird Public Lecture, presented by Dr. Anna O’Grady, postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. Abstract: The scientific method, as we learned in school, involves making a hypothesis and testing it to come to a final conclusion. But have you ever wondered what happens when the conclusions are different than expected? In this talk, I’ll walk you through the process of trying to find Thorne-Zytkow Objects — supergiant stars that have swallowed neutron stars. I’ll explain how I identified and analyzed a group of interesting stars in another galaxy, and the unexpected twist along the way. Bio: Anna O’Grady is a McWilliams postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She completed her PhD in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Toronto, and her BSc in physics and applied math at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Anna’s research involves observations of stellar populations in nearby galaxies, and uses those observations to put constraints on rare or unknown classes of massive stars. No pre-registration required. Free public lecture. Reception to follow. Johnson Geo Centre, Signal Hill Johnson Geo Centre & Department of Physics & Physical Oceanography