About the Lecture

The cosmos directly interacts with Earth through various signals in the form of electromagnetic waves (light), elementary particles, and gravitational waves. A couple of decades ago, radio astronomers found extremely bright flashes in their data that only lasted a few thousandths of a second. These pulses, named Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), were found to be coming from outside of our Galaxy and can be so energetic that they radiate a billion times more energy than our Sun does within a millisecond. While more than 20,000 bursts have been detected on Earth since FRBs were first discovered, their origins still remain a mystery. In this talk, I will present a brief history of FRBs, introduce how they have altered our understanding of our Universe, and explore some theories on the cosmic sources that could be powering them. I will also discuss how I build theoretical models and use computational tools to interpret the observed properties, and infer the mysterious nature of FRBs in my own research.

Live stream URL can be found at the bottom of the EventBrite registration confirmation email.

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About the Speaker

Navin Sridhar is a postdoctoral researcher at KIPAC/Stanford who strives to understand various high-energy astrophysical phenomena using analytical modeling and computational simulations. Essentially, Navin uses the events that happen in our cosmos -- even cataclysmic explosions -- as laboratories to understand physics at extreme conditions that cannot be replicated in terrestrial laboratories. Occasionally, Navin also collaborates and performs direct observations of cosmic events using X-ray and radio telescopes, which he uses to verify his theoretical predictions. Prior to his Stanford stint, Navin received his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia University, and a Bachelor's and Master's degree in physics from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal.

Directions and Parking

This event will take place in the Hewlett Teaching Center (370 Jane Stanford Way) on the Stanford campus. Upon arrival, please check in in the foyer of the building and follow signs for Room 200.

The closest visitor parking is in the Via Ortega Garage and along the Stanford Oval. All parking is free in spaces marked Visitor, A, or C after 4pm unless indicated otherwise. Accessible parking is also available along the Stanford Oval.

If you plan to take public transportation, some lines of the Marguerite Shuttle connect between the Palo Alto Transit Center and the campus. You can get to the Hewlett Teaching Center by taking Line P (drops off at the Stanford Oval), Line X (drops off at the ChEM-H Building on Jane Stanford Way), and Line Y (picks up across from the ChEM-H Building on Jane Stanford Way). A complete list of shuttle schedules and route maps can be found here.