Brian Metzger

Theoretical astrophysicist. Columbia University and the Flatiron Institute CCA. lover of all "things that go bump in the night". hopeless Cubs fan.

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

Richard O'Shaughnessy doing the BBH merger interpretative dance (with an assist from @Dr_CMingarelli)

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

@mattyglesias Exactly, because the fed doesn't directly control long term rates (that determines e.g. mortgages), but expectations about inflation and the safety of US debt obligations do.

[Columbia Science @ColumbiaScience]

Have scientists just seen their first "superkilonova"?@Columbia Professor Brian Metzger (@bluekilonova) helped other astronomers interpret their observations of the unexpected stellar event.

https://t.co/PoRGn3EAqg

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

our recent paper on evidence for a new site of heavy element creation. @anirudhpatel_ @chargedcurrent @FlatironInst @PhysicsColumbia

[The Washington Post @washingtonpost]

Magnetars, which have been around since before the solar system was created, could have been an early source of precious metals — like gold — on our planet, according to a study published in the Astrophysical Journal. https://t.co/14lZ6pplzd

[Ani @rapidneutron]

With @bluekilonova and others, we discovered a new site of heavy element (r-process) nucleosynthesis! Main points nicely summarized below.

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

https://t.co/QPd3nBpPSK

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

https://t.co/B92m1C1eoR

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

https://t.co/cSueqGgVkF

Direct evidence magnetar giant flares eject neutron star crust material capable of heavy element nucleosynthesis and associated kilonova-like signals . As the gamma-ray signal came from the 2004 giant flare, in some since this was the "first" kilonova.

[Flatiron Institute @FlatironInst]

#FlatironCCA is hosting a Summer School on the Landscape of Astronomical Transients! This is a unique opportunity for PhD students to learn the physics of astronomical transients, while gaining hands-on experience in dealing with time-domain data from synoptic surveys. Learn more: https://t.co/fGVDXVOleh #science #astrophysics

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

@BobHoldenNYC Take the train.

[sam @sam_d_1995]

@ChairmanEdCox this is factually incorrect. the overwhelming majority of commuters to the congestion relief zone take transit and the small group that does choose to drive is disproportionately wealthy

[Columbia Physics Department @PhysicsColumbia]

Congratulations to Assistant Prof. Raquel Queiroz on winning the 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship! The Sloan Fellowship is one of the most distinguished honors to be awarded to early-career scholars who exemplify the innovation of elite emerging scientists. Congratulations Raquel!

[sam @sam_d_1995]

this is a lie. the max throughput on the Tesla Tunnel is ~4,000 passengers/hr, and in reality probably is closer to 2,000

meanwhile the Lexington Avenue line of the NYC Subway can hit over 100k passengers/hr

cars are simply an inefficient way to move many people

[Matteo Cantiello @kantyellow]

Calling all astrophysicists interested in stars!✨Take our quick (<5 min) survey to share your experience with #MESA and help shape its future🚀 Not a MESA user? We'd love to hear about other stellar evolution codes too. Your insights are invaluable!
🔗https://t.co/sIE6jKRLq7

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

A prediction for future events is an optical/UV transient signal of similar luminosity ~1e39 erg/s and duration of ~10 min (mini-kilonova, or "nova brevis") that could detected with the naked eye (for Galactic flares) or with TOO follow-up of the gamma-ray trigger (extragalactic)

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

https://t.co/eP8QadEcC6 In work led by Ani Patel we found evidence, in an old unexplained gamma-ray signal, that the famous giant magnetar flare 20 years ago synthesized ~1e-6 Msun in r-process elements. With @chargedcurrent we've finally confirmed magnetars can "r-process".

[Brian Metzger @bluekilonova]

Magnetars as a new r-process sources has several implications. Based on the giant flare rate and the mass yield of this event, we estimate they contribute ~1-10% of the total Galactic r-abundances, and provide a confirmed site that (unlike mergers) promptly tracks star-formation.

[Phil Armitage @philip_armitage]

New work led by Amy Secunda and Yan-Fei Jiang @FlatironCCA, using multi-frequency radiation MHD simulations to test the physical basis of reverberation mapping in Active Galactic Nuclei. TLDR yes it should work, pretty well, but not in every circumstance.

https://t.co/C2ZD5eUt4X

[katie @katefeetie]

if the media reported every single car accident with the same ferocity it reports on every single incident that happens on the MTA, you would be very happy the subway exists