Title: Physics of comets after the Rosetta mission Abstract: Most comet questions revolve around whether observed properties are primordial and representative of conditions during the era of planet formation, or whether they are caused by subsequent processing. The Rosetta mission to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko dramatically changed our understanding of comets. It allowed the most detailed study of … Continue reading "CRA Seminar: Dr. Dennis Bodewits (Auburn University)"

The Degree of Fine-Tuning in our Universe -- and Possibly Others Fred C. Adams, University of Michigan https://lsa.umich.edu/astro/people/jointly-appointed-faculty/fca.html The fundamental constants of nature must fall within a range of values in order for the universe to develop structure and ultimately support life. This talk considers the current constraints on these quantities and assesses the degree … Continue reading "CRA Seminar (Prof. Fred Adams, University of Michigan)"

Could there be an undetected inner planet near the stability limit in Kepler-1647?   Abstract: Kepler-1647b  is  the  most  recently  discovered  planet  that  transits  two  stars,  e.g.,  a  circumbinary planet (CBP). Due to its large orbital separation, Kepler-1647b stands out from the rest of the Kepler CBPs, which mostly reside on much tighter orbits near … Continue reading "CRA Cosmic Coffee: Ziqian Hong"