80% Galaxy Atmospheres and 20% Disastrous Budgets

Date/Time

July 25rd, 2024 – 4:00pm ET / 1:00pm PT

Speaker

Grant Tremblay, Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Abstract

Look, I was honored and delighted to be asked to speak to you all about galaxy atmospheres, and I happily will. I’ll share a few thoughts about galaxy-scale “fountains” of multiphase (X-ray through molecular) gas, wherein the supermassive black hole at the galaxy center acts like a mechanical “pump” in that fountain. We have some exciting new JWST results that I’ll give a preview of, and I’ll try to frame this all in the broader picture of gas flows in galaxies from L* through massive BCGs, and how a future fleet of Great Observatories (HWO, X-ray, FIR) and indeed Probe-scale missions can totally transform our understanding of these cosmic ecosystems. HOWEVER. BUT. I will do this through gritted teeth, because to be totally honest, we are in a looming budgetary catastrophe in astronomy right now, friends. And so I might try to spend a few slides sharing some thoughts about what we as a community can and must do to protect our field and the global enterprise of cosmic discovery as we enter what might be a looming age of austerity. Hang in there. Galaxy atmospheres are worth it!

Meeting Connection

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Meeting ID: 966 1013 2337
Passcode: 500166