| Speaker: | Meridith Joyce (Australian National University) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Better Stellar Modeling: Numerical Tools and Techniques for the Modern Observational Landscape |
| Date (JST): | Wed, Jan 15, 2020, 14:00 - 15:00 |
| Place: | Balcony A |
| Related File: | 2488.pdf |
| Abstract: |
In the era of Gaia and TESS, astronomers often assert that better observational data will lead to improvements in stellar modeling, but we hear less frequently about the translation of better data to better theoretical formalisms in practice. My research concerns the development and use of stellar structure and evolution (SSE) modeling tools, especially the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) software suite, the Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Program (DSEP), and the GYRE stellar oscillation code. As our observing capabilities continue to improve, my work ensures that stellar models reflect observational reality and improve in their scope and capacity as predictive tools. In this talk, I will highlight my recent work using these stellar structure and evolution programs in novel ways to (1) build predictive models of the thermally pulsing red giant branch (TP-AGB); (2) generate empirically-motivated initial conditions for 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of stars and compact stellar objects; and (3) produce optimized stellar parameter determinations using a combination of classical and asteroseismic observational data from nearby oscillating binaries. |
