Fong Group at Northwestern

Fong Group @NUCIERA

[CIERA @NUCIERA]

CIERA scientists have precisely traced one of the brightest fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever — “Root Beer FLOAT” to a spiral arm just 130M light-years away, accurate within 42 light-years! A huge leap in solving the FRB mystery. 🌌✨ #Astronomy #CHIME

🔗 https://t.co/LOLwxROcw8

[Northwestern @NorthwesternU]

See that blue dot? That's the fast X-ray transient (FXT) EP 250108a—and the supernova that followed it 🔭

Using a combination of telescopes, astronomers found that FXTs can result from the "failed" explosive death of a massive star: https://t.co/QjxofnQB8R

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

This is only a preview of what CHIME/FRB and its Outrigger stations are capable of!

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

In two works led by @NASA Einstein Fellow Tarraneh Eftekhari (@NUCIERA) and McGill PhD student Vishwangi Shah @astroVishwangi repeating FRB 20240209A is in the outer regions of a quiescent, massive galaxy, confusing if FRBs arise from young magnetars! https://t.co/wPAX5l70Bv

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

Possibilities for its origin include dynamical formation in a (currently unseen) globular cluster, or the mergers of compact objects that could explain long delay times. https://t.co/SEr7dl7YKF

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

Happy holidays from the Fong Group & friends! 🎁
(📸 credit: @jillian_rast)

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

Woo! 🔭

[Giant Magellan Telescope @giantmagellan]

We are pleased to welcome @NorthwesternU as the 9th American institution to invest in the Giant Magellan Telescope. With institutions from the US, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan, they join one of the largest public-private partnerships in science advancing construction of one of the world’s most powerful observatories. https://t.co/KhKnadGTM3

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

We were so proud to celebrate graduate student Jillian Rastinejad (@jillian_rast) at her official induction as a @NorthwesternU Presidential Fellow. Her research on origins of r-process clearly resonates across disciplines, and we are thankful to witness it! 📸: B. Robinson

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

So, while neutron star mergers are still the only observed site of r-process elements, Anya + team hope this paper makes you question if we need another, faster, channel to explain the Universe’s chemical enrichment…

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

🚨Paper Alert🚨
Recently graduated Dr. Anya Nugent questions the role of neutron star mergers in the Universe’s heavy r-process element enrichment in her new paper https://t.co/v5GyQ8yPl9. Fun collaboration with @alexanderpji! Check out the 🧵 for more details!

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

Anya + team also show that if a host has little to no ongoing star-formation, a neutron star merger will not be able to enhance the r-process stellar abundances: meaning an event like GW170817 (our prime r-process example!) was not able to enrich its old, massive host.

[CIERA @NUCIERA]

We are excited to share that @NUPhysicsAstro is recruiting for an Associate or Full Professor in Astrophysics who will become an active member of CIERA. Learn more about the position, our community, and institutional resources: https://t.co/2wOfNwd5Jm

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

We are looking to grow our group by two postdocs next year! If interested in time-domain and/or multi-messenger astronomy, please see our ad for more! Deadline Dec 20: https://t.co/N6bbuquQan 🔭

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

We thank @StewardAstro for the unforgettable visit to honor Marc Aaronson, and the opportunity to talk about Fast Radio Bursts and the origins of heavy elements!

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

Wen-fai Fong visited @StewardAstro at @uarizona in Tucson this week to accept the 2024 Marc Aaronson Prize. Aaronson was a pioneer in an astonishing number of topics, from elliptical galaxies to globular clusters to the age of the Universe.

[Fong Group at Northwestern @FongGroup]

The Marc Aaronson Prize was created by his family and colleagues, turning tragedy into light and opportunity. We honor his memory by reading his papers in an attempt to get to know the scientist he was, and continuing to talk about his work. 💙