Astrophysics REU 2005

U of Wisconsin-Madison

Schedule

 

Week 1

Tues, May 31 8:30 pm   Meet at Tripp Circle

              Welcome dinner for Astrophysics REU participants. Meet in front of Tripp Hall at Tripp Circle, and walk along lakeshore path to UW-Memorial Union Terrace or State Street.

 

Wed, June 1 10:30am-noon   Sterling 4534A

              Astrophysics REU program orientation. Bagels, coffee, and juice! Brief tour of astronomy and physics departments.   

             

Wed, June 1 Noon-1pm   UW-Memorial Terrace

              Lunch at UW-Memorial Terrace.

 

Wed, June 1 1:30pm-onward   Meet with Advisors

               

Wed, June 1 9pm  [Washburn Observatory (uphill from Adams Hall)]¤

Public night (weather and telescope permitting). Every Wednesday night during the summer, Washburn Observatory has public viewing sessions. These sessions are usually run by a graduate student from the Astronomy Department

 

Fri, June 3 11:00am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar: Scott Schnee, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics ÒA complete recalibration of far-infrared column density and temperature measurements using extinction mapsÓ

 

Sat, June 4 6am-2pm   [Capitol Square]

            FarmerÕs Market. Held every Saturday morning during the summer, you can get all manner of fresh produce, as well as cheese curds so fresh they make your teeth squeak! (http://www.madfarmmkt.org/)

 

Week 2

Sun, June 5   6:00pm Upper Carson Gully (across the circle from Tripp Hall) 

All-Programs University Welcome Dinner

 

Wed, June 8 1:00pm Roof of Sterling Hall

Training for Rooftop and Universe in the Park telescopes (Prof. Eric Wilcots)

 

*Thurs, June 9 10:45am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Bob Benjamin

 

Thurs, June 9 1:00-2:00   Sterling 4534A

How to Make Your Research Web Page (Prof.. Bob Benjamin)

 

Week 3

Sun, June 12 1:00pm   Meeting time TBA

Field Trip/Astronomy Department Picnic: Pine Bluff Observatory. Built in 1958, this small telescope is still in heavy use, with several different projects sited here. One lucky graduate student from the Astronomy Department gets to live out here rent free (although they do have to do a significant number of chores.) Resident astronomy Andy Fox will give us a tour.

 

Mon, June 13 10:45am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Eric Wilcots (Astronomy)

 

Wed, June 15 9am   Meet at Tripp Circle

Field Trip: Synchrotron Radiation Center and Physical Sciences Laboratory. Come see one of the largest synchrotron sources in the country, run by the University of Wisconsin-Madison on behalf of the National Science Foundation. At the Physical Sciences Laboratory, you can see where they are making components of IceCube, a neutrino telescope at the South Pole. (With Steve Anderson, in the past Steve has made a stop a local grocery storeÉ stock up on supplies!)

 

Thurs, June 16  6:00 pm   All-Program Picnic

Lakeshore picnic area, behind Tripp Commons on the lake (rain location: Carsons)

 

Week 4

Mon, June 20   11:00am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Ellen Zweibel (Physics) ÒThe Magnetic UniverseÓ

 

Thurs,June 23 7:00pm   Pine room-lower Carsons

Scientific Ethics Movie Night: TBA

 

Week 5

Mon, June 27   10:45am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Don Cox (Physics) ÒThoughts on the ISMÓ

 

Wed, June 29   7pm   [Capitol Square]

Concert on the Square: The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra starts their weekly series of outdoor classical music concerts. Bring a picnic dinner and a blanket, or buy your dinner there. The series continues weekly through August 3.

 

Thurs, June 30   3 pm   Sterling 4534A postponed

              Grad School panel discussion. We will have a panel discussion of current graduate students and faculty who have served on the graduate admissions committee to discuss when, how, and where to apply for Astronomy and Physics graduate schools. You are also encouraged to check out www.physicsgre.com before next weekÕs session on the Physics GRE.

 

Sat, July 2 7pm   [Warner Park]

Rhythm & Booms: MadisonÕs premier firework show. Although you can see the fireworks from the UW-Memorial Union, for the full effect youÕll want to bus or bike over to Warner Park. Warning: It can get crowded, and be sure to bring mosquito repellent. (http://www.rhythmandbooms.com/index.php)

 

Week 6

Mon, July 4   All day

University holiday (Independence Day observed)

 

Wed, July 6   4:30-5:30 pm   Sterling 4534A

Practice Physics GRE. All rising seniors are highly encouraged to take a practice GRE Physics exam. Participation by rising sophomores and juniors is optional.

 

Thurs, July 7   9:30-10:30 am   Sterling 4534A

Physics GRE advice. Scores from the practice exam will be discussed, and suggestions on how to prepare for this exam will be discussed. (Dr. Bob Benjamin)

 

Thurs, July 7   10:45am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Dr. Matt Haffner (Astronomy) ÒRed Sky at NightÓ

 

Fri, July 8 6:00pm Meet at Tripp Circle

Field trip: One of the last and greatest refractors in the world, this telescope was built in Wisconsin by the University of Chicago. (A book on the history of the telescope is on the bookshelf in REU central.) You can marvel at the telescope design, the architecture, and the fact that the site is still used for scientific research.

 

 

Week 7

Mon, July 11   10:45am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Peter Timbie (Physics) ÒOld PhotonsÓ

 

Mon, July 11 7:00pm Rose Taylor Lounge

Scientific Ethics Movie Night: TBA

 

Fri, July 15 Ð Sun, July 17 SROP Conference (See Schedule)

 

 

Week 8

Mon, July 18   10:45am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Dr. Teresa Montaruli (Physics) ÒNeutrino Astronomy and Telescopes. The case of AMANDA and IceCubeÓ

 

Fri, July 22 7:00am   Meet at Tripp Circle

              Field Trip: Fermilab, with stop-off in Downtown Chicago. Fermilab is one of the top particle physics laboratories in the world, and also has been a major partner in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, one of the most important sky surveys of the last decade.

 

Week 9

Mon, Jul 25   10:30-11:00 am   Sterling 4534A

How to Put Together Your Final Presentation  (Dr. Bob Benjamin)

 

Mon, Jul 25   11:00 am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: Prof. Ed Churchwell (Astronomy) ÒGLIMPSEÓ

 

Thurs, July 28 7:00pm Pine room-lower Carson

Scientific Ethics Movie Night: ÒContactÓ (Astro students MUST attend)

 

Fri, July 29 11:45am-1pm   Sterling 4534A

          Scientific Ethics Discussion, moderated by John Fields (Dept of Philosophy)

              PIZZA provided!

 

 

Week 10

Mon, Aug 1   10:45am   Sterling 4534A

Astronomy Seminar series: TBA

 

Wed, Aug 3   3:45-5pm Sterling 6515

Final Presentations, Part 1. Coffee and cookies at 3:30 pm.

 

Thurs, Aug 4   3:45-5pm Sterling 6515

Final Presentations, Part 1I.  Coffee and cookies at 3:30 pm.

 

Fri, Aug 5   Noon   Sterling

Farewell pizza lunch! Roof of Sterling Hall (Rain location: Sterling 5517)

 

Sat, Aug 6   All-day Tripp Circle

Depart for airport. Airport transportation arrangements will be e-mailed to everyone.

 

 

 



¤ All locations given in square brackets indicate that the event is not a planned event, but merely suggested. You will need to make your own plans for these events.

*  Each Astronomy seminar is preceded by a 15-minute Òcheck-inÓ period, and followed by lunch with the speaker at noon at the UW-Memorial Union (assuming speaker is available). A pre-talk reading will be handed out in the week previous to the talk (and can be picked up in Sterling 4569).