Galaxies -- Clusters

Galaxies -- Clusters

Interviewed by
Montserrat Zeron
Interview date
Location
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Abstract

Interview with Grant Tremblay, astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Tremblay recalls his childhood in Maine, his early interest in astronomy, and the formative experience of seeing a space shuttle launch. He discusses his undergraduate studies in physics and astronomy at University of Rochester. Tremblay then describes his time as a research assistant at the Space Telescope Science Institute before entering a PhD program at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he did thesis work on cool core clusters. Tremblay discusses his postdoctoral fellowship at the European Southern Observatory, as well as his time working under Meg Urry as a NASA Einstein Fellow at the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. He details his involvement with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in addition to the Lynx X-Ray Observatory. Tremblay describes his role as vice-chair for NASA’s Astrophysics Advisory Committee, his involvement in the American Astronomical Society, and the New Great Observatories Community Coalition which he founded in 2020. Tremblay also speaks about his involvement in space policy, issues around congressional support, and the importance of continued government investment in science. 

Interviewed by
Jaco de Swart
Interview dates
November 12 and December 4, 2014
Location
Princeton, New Jersey
Abstract

Interview with James Gunn, American astronomer and Emeritus Eugene Higgins Professor of Astronomy at Princeton University. Gunn discusses his graduate work at Caltech where he worked with Guido Munch. He describes his graduate thesis on the correlation function of galaxies and recalls his growing interest in cosmology at the time. Gunn traces the development of dark matter research during the 1970s and 1980s, reflecting on the important contributions of his peers as well as his own. He discusses his other research interests such as Omega matter and virial discrepancy. Gunn also describes his role in the growth of the cosmology department at Caltech. 

Interviewed by
Jaco de Swart
Interview dates
November 24 & 25, 2014
Location
Princeton, New Jersey
Abstract

Interview with astrophysicist and cosmologist Neta Bahcall, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Astronomy at Princeton University. Bahcall discusses her undergraduate studies in physics and math in Israel before her move to Caltech. She recounts her PhD work with her advisor, William Fowler, as well as collaborations with Maarten Schmidt. Bahcall explains how she was studying nuclear physics at Caltech when she first learned of the virial discrepancy and became interested in galaxy clusters, prompting her to shift her studies toward astronomy. Bahcall describes her work on quasars and the beginnings of her work in cosmology. Throughout the interview, she provides an overview of galaxy cluster research in the 1970s, as well as the beginnings of dark matter research. Bahcall discusses many of her influential papers over the years, on topics such as clusters, large construction, dark matter and omega matter. She describes how her research on clusters relates to cosmology, as well as how her work intersects with radio astronomy. Bahcall reflects on the impact of being a woman in the field, and at the end of the interview, she shares memories from the 1985 IAU meeting on dark matter. 

Interviewed by
David Zierler
Interview date
Location
Video conference
Abstract

Interview with Marcelle Soares-Santos, assistant professor of physics at the University of Michigan. Soares-Santos recounts her childhood in Brazil, her early interests in science, and her graduate work in physics at the University of São Paulo. She describes her graduate visit to Fermilab to study galaxy clusters as a way to map the history of the expanding universe, which formed the basis of her thesis research. Soares-Santos discusses her return to Fermilab as a postdoctoral researcher, where she joined the Dark Energy Survey, and she explains how DES is getting us closer to understanding what dark energy is. She describes Fermilab’s broad-scale transition into astrophysics, and she explains the opportunities that led to her faculty appointment first at Brandeis before moving to Michigan. Soares-Santos discusses her current work in gravitational waves, and she prognosticates on what the discovery of dark energy (or energies) will look like. She shares her perspective on recent efforts to improve diversity and inclusivity in STEM. At the end of the interview, Soares-Santos explains why observation is leading theory in the current work of astrophysics and cosmology and why she is optimistic for fundamental advances in the field.