Episode 112: It’s not fun to be in a YMC, eh? Apply to join us as a co-host! https://astrosoundbites.com/recruiting-2025 In today’s episode, Cormac, Shashank and Lucia come together to crack open the craziness inside Young Massive (Stellar) Clusters - some of the most exciting neighbourhoods in our Universe. They’re a very hot topic at the moment, and not just because of their intense radiation - they host the majority of massive stars, and ancient YMCs might be the ancestors of the globular clusters that orbit our own Milky Way today. Shashank shares a recipe for cooking up YMCs through a computational collision, and Lucia takes a peek at YMCs emerging from their dust-embedded embryonic environs. We round off with a casual discussion of whether simulationists are taking Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus a bit too literally and chat about our favourite star clusters. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2025/07/23/ymc_formation/ https://astrobites.org/2025/07/09/gmc-dispersal/

The only thing better than studying the largest compact objects in the universe is smashing them together. In this episode, Lucia, Shashank, and Cole cover binary black hole mergers and what these violent events can tell us about our universe! Lucia talks us through some mergers' specific spins and Cole forces Shashank to talk about cosmology again. Astrobites:https://astrobites.org/2025/06/27/pisngap_gws_flexible_models/ https://astrobites.org/2025/07/17/lss-bbhgw-expansionrate/   Space Sound: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/multimedia/sonifications/

Apply to join us as a co-host! https://astrosoundbites.com/recruiting-2025   This week, Shashank, Cole and Cormac discuss a concept that has come up on many an ASB episode past: Bayesian statistics. They start by trying to wrap our heads around what a probability really means. Cole introduces us to a recent and attention-grabbing paper on a potential biosignature in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, with lots of statistics along the way. Then, Cormac brings up some counterpoints to this detection. They debate what it would take—statistically and scientifically—for a detection of biosignatures to cross the line from intriguing to compelling.   New Constraints on DMS and DMDS in the Atmosphere of K2-18 b from JWST MIRI https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adc1c8   Are there Spectral Features in the MIRI/LRS Transmission Spectrum of K2-18b? https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15916   Insufficient evidence for DMS and DMDS in the atmosphere of K2-18 b. From a joint analysis of JWST NIRISS, NIRSpec, and MIRI observations https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13407   Space Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGdk49LRB14

Apply to join us as a co-host! https://astrosoundbites.com/recruiting-2025 This week, Lucia, Cole and Cormac discuss cosmic sandwich kids: intermediate mass black holes. Where are they hiding? How do they form? And can they grow up to become supermassive black holes? To answer questions like these, we take a look at globular cluster simulations and a famous gravitational wave event: GW190521. The discussion takes us to alien civilisations in the far, far future.  From Globs to Gravitational Waves: A Simulated Cosmic Choreographyhttps://astrobites.org/2025/06/19/from-globs-to-gravitational-waves-a-simulated-cosmic-choreography/ Uncovering Precession for GW190521: How the Last Cycle Cracked the Casehttps://astrobites.org/2025/06/21/precession_gw190521/ Space Sound: https://soundcloud.com/esa/sound-of-a-juice-boom-deploying The clock ticking sound is by “opticalnoise” on freedsound.org (https://freesound.org/people/opticalnoise/sounds/201194/). The alarm sound is by “hypocore” on freesound.org (https://freesound.org/people/hypocore/sounds/164090/).

This week, Lucia, Cormac, and Shashank dive into the depth of the Mediterranean Sea to discover more about the most energetic neutrino measured to date, which had an energy of a whooping 120 PeV! They then pay a visit to the South Pole to discuss what the ICECUBE neutrino observatory can tell us about the proton fraction of cosmic rays at the highest energies.  Casting a wide (KM3)NeT for a record-breaking neutrinohttps://astrobites.org/2025/05/29/km3net-neutrino Kachow! Three high energy neutrinos speed through IceCubehttps://astrobites.org/2025/05/31/template-post-33 Space Sound: https://youtu.be/VKvuohsicZs (Particle of Doubt by David Ibbett) Gammapy Song: https://gammapy.org/gammapy_song.mp3 (Gammapy Python package: https://gammapy.org) 

The more things change, the more they, uh, change. This episode Cole, Shashank, and Cormac cover the exciting events that change what we see on the night sky. Ancient astronomers tracked the motions of the planets and the arrival of “guest stars” (supernovae), and nowadays we’re lucky enough to see some really wild and energetic events. Cormac gives us a view into what happens when a star punches through a black hole’s accretion disc, Shashank shows us a particularly persnickety pulsar, and Cole gets his twenty minute monologue on modern classical music cut for time.    Astrobites: This Pulsar Has Mood Swings https://astrobites.org/2025/05/21/this-pulsar-has-mood-swings/   X-treme X-rays in an X-tra young system https://astrobites.org/2025/04/16/x-treme-x-rays-in-an-x-tra-young-system/   Space Sound:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2_3RgX-RIY&list=PPSV   Gif of Sagittarius A* we mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0QRpid5_QU

In this episode, we say goodbye to one of our beloved hosts, Sabrina Berger. We take a voyage through the depths and breadths of Sabrina’s research experience. Cole tells us how Sabrina investigates JWST’s ability to estimate the masses of galaxies through the glare of their quasars, and Lucia tells us how Sabrina used navigation satellites to calibrate radio telescopes. In between, we quiz Sabrina on her own ASB episodes and finish with Sabrina’s experience in 3 different countries and Sabrina’s advice for future grad students!   Arxiv links: https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.06144 (second paper coming soon to an arxiv near you!)

In this episode, the (domestic) American sector of Astro[sound]bites covers the recent proposed budget cuts to NASA, the largest in NASA’s entire history. We cover the downsides that these cuts would have for science and the economy, and what you can do to speak out.   How to reach out: Find your representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative   AAS Letter Writing Guidelines for Astronomers:  https://aas.org/advocacy/get-involved/action-alerts/action-alert-2025-support-science   Planetary Society Letter Writing Guidelines for the General Public https://www.planetary.org/advocacy-action-center#/53   Astrobite with Guidelines for Letter Writing https://astrobites.org/2025/04/15/help_nasa/   Sources:  The Budget Request (NASA Stuff begins on page 39 of the pdf) https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf   Original ArsTechnica Report: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/04/trump-white-house-budget-proposal-eviscerates-science-funding-at-nasa/   NASA’s economic output: https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2023-economic-impact-report/#:~:text=NASA%20Boosts%20the%20U.S.%20Economy,D.C.%2C%20in%20fiscal%20year%202023.   NASA’s economic output reaches all 50 states: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-economic-benefit-reaches-all-50-states/   NASA’s research on climate change https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/   NASA’s research on asteroid defense https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-defense/   NASA Education and Outreach https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/space/education-outreach/   Cuts disproportionately affect marginalized groups: https://www.fastcompany.com/91328007/trumps-federal-layoffs-are-disproportionately-impacting-women-and-people-of-color  

In today’s episode, Cormac, Cole and Lucia catch you up with all things Citizen Science. In the epoch of ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini (no, not the telescope), it’s easy to forget about the 20 Watt computer you’re using to read this sentence. Yes, even YOU can contribute to cutting-edge astronomical research, as we present two examples of cosmic crowdfunding in action. Cole convinces us that nearby galaxies need some Clump Scouts, and Lucia shows us how volunteers have been the (tur)key to finding a new star-studded dwarf galaxy. We also discuss the non-research benefits of democratising science, and in a fourth-wall-shattering pivot, we ask you, yes YOU, what you’d like to hear more of on a[s]b. astrosoundbites@gmail.com Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2024/07/29/galaxy-zoo-clump-scout/ https://astrobites.org/2023/11/18/a-lonely-little-galaxy-at-the-edge-of-our-neighborhood/ Space Sound: Adapted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6vbST9iMOU XKCD Comic: https://xkcd.com/1425/ Article about the (not so?) amateur astronomer: https://astro.arizona.edu/news/tucson-doctor-wins-national-award-his-second-act-amateur-astronomer

That stars die will be old news for most listeners. But sometimes, stars don’t just die, they get ripped apart by supermassive black holes. Cormac, Cole and Lucia discuss these so-called tidal disruption events. Specifically, how these events are connected to X-ray absorption features called extreme coronal lines. The hosts also take a look at one of the true superstars of supernova remnants: the Crab Nebula. As it turns out, studying the ejecta can give clues about the pulsar at the heart of the nebula. The discussion revolves around the every-day of doing science. Spoiler: it’s not all like solving exercise sheets. A New Look at Our Old Friend, the Crab Nebulahttps://astrobites.org/2025/03/16/new-look-at-crab/ Exploring the remains of a destroyed (death) starhttps://astrobites.org/2025/03/08/exploring-the-remains-of-a-destroyed-death-star/  Space Sound: https://youtu.be/aG300vtQ1es

Shoot, someone made the mistake of letting Cole pick the episode topic. In this episode, Cole, Cormac, and Shashank talk about the big boy on cosmology campus: Lambda CDM. This model has gotten a bit too big for its britches we think: what are the things about the universe that this model can’t explain? Shashank gives us a tour through the dark matter hearts of galaxies which don’t match up with cosmological predictions and Cormac shows us how 1500 (ish? We’re not clear on this one.) supernovae could hint at a fundamental flaw in Lambda CDM.   Astrobites: Testing cosmology with the DES 5-year supernovae dataset: https://astrobites.org/2024/03/22/template-post-21/   Digging into the Core: Dark Matter and Dwarf Galaxies https://astrobites.org/2015/07/14/digging-into-the-core-dark-matter-and-dwarf-galaxies/   Space Sound: Listen to the hum of NANOGrav's gravitational wave background https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGO0wQK9ns4

In this episode, Cormac, Lucia and Cole lift the lid on the lifecycle of space missions by peering into a preponderance of proposals. If you’ve ever wondered how your favourite telescope, rover or probe made it into space, then wonder no more. Lucia brings us a novel way to track potentially hazardous space junk using 5G, while Cole teases us with some magnetic results from the LISA Pathfinder mission. We also discuss our favourite proposed space missions, and debate the right balance between risk and reward. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2024/08/13/5g-signals-to-track-space-trash/ https://astrobites.org/2024/12/21/template-post-15-2/ Space Sound: https://www.nasa.gov/audio-and-ringtones/(First Acoustic Recording of Laser Shots on Mars)

Episode 101: Weather Woes   In this episode, we take a dive into weather phenomena in space. Shashank, Cormac and Lucia discuss what the terms hot and cold mean in space and the temperature ranges we tend to see outside the Solar System and the galaxy. Then, Cormac tells us about the climate on Venus, and Lucia delves into cold fronts between galaxies. Finally, we round off with some hot takes about the most underrated parts of the electromagnetic spectrum in astrophysics!   Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2024/12/24/its-getting-hot-in-here-so-take-off-all-your-h2o/ https://astrobites.org/2024/11/11/cold-front-outside/   Space sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYXAdXf5gWU

Astrobites turns 100! For our ten squared-th episode we take a tour of all of the extremes of astrophysics: the heaviest and the lightest, the fastest and the slowest, the brightest and dimmest. In doing so, Shashank covers an astrobite on itty bitty particles that pack a big punch, Lucia talks about medium-ish galaxies and their black hole hearts, and Cormac panics about the danger of violent kilonovae. To help us celebrate, we meet up with some old friends to discuss dark matter, exoplanets, and how ridiculously long a Ph.D. takes.  Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2024/06/06/agns-quenching-dwarf-galaxies/ https://astrobites.org/2013/06/04/cosmic-rays-from-the-telescope-array/ https://astrobites.org/2023/11/20/kilonova-safety/ https://astrobites.org/2018/08/16/do_the_milky_ways_stellar_streams_have_that_fuzzy_dark_matter_feeling/ https://astrobites.org/2022/11/28/evaporating-exoplanet/ Space sound: http://soundcloud.com/alexhp-1/supernova-sonata MIT study on children thinking logarithmically: https://news.mit.edu/2012/thinking-logarithmically-1005#:~:text=Cognitive%20scientists%20theorize%20that%20that's,is%2031%2C%20or%203.

Danger - explosive! This week’s episode is all about supernovae. These star-ripping, neutrino spewing explosions are important to various fields of astrophysics. Cormac, Cole, and Lucia discuss just when stars actually go supernova. And also, whether we can use gravitational waves to tell which compact object is left behind. Everybody gets to share their favourite supernova science and (as we all love to do) to complain about how much astronomers love old, inconsistent nomenclature. Enjoy!   Intro questions: Powering a Supernova https://astrobites.org/2024/10/04/how-to-power-supernovae/ The explodability criterion: How to make a star go supernova https://astrobites.org/2024/09/13/explodability-criterion/ Can we perform a Supernova Autopsy Via Gravitational Waves? https://astrobites.org/2024/10/08/gwautopsy/ Space Sound: https://youtu.be/S-saaAyaW0c

In this episode, Cormac, Shashank and Cole dig deep into Galactic Archaeology as we look into the past of our Milky Way. Cole brings us a catastrophic computational collision, while Shashank gives us the low-down on low-metallicity, and we see just how the (Gaia) sausage gets made. We also discuss the rights, wrongs and funnies of Astronomers trying to name things, and the diverse design philosophies behind some of our favourite observational facilities. Astrobites:    https://astrobites.org/2023/07/27/colossal_collisions_and_the_milky_way/   https://astrobites.org/2024/08/03/pigs-sagittarius/   Space sound:   https://www.aip.de/en/news/exploring-the-history-of-the-early-milky-way-with-sound/   DOOFAS Acronyms website:   https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~gpetitpas/Links/Astroacro.html

In this episode, Shashank, Cole and Lucia bend time in their debut podcast together as we talk about the various ways astronomy is like time travel. Lucia gives us a peek into the past with the storied supernova Cas A, while Cole brings us on a nostalgic quest into gravitational wave memory. We hope you enjoy time traveling with us!   Astrobites:    https://astrobites.org/2024/08/26/cas_a_jwst/   https://astrobites.org/2024/08/28/gwmem/   Space sound:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9vGpkQurfc JWST Cas A images:   https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/149/01HGGZ4TPD8XFNPCBTZ2QYM0ZM   https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/121/01GWQBBY77MHGFV3M3N63KDCEJ

This episode marks Kiersten’s last astro[sound]bites episode (and also side note – we’re posting this on her birthday!). To recognize Kiersten for her incredible time as a co-host, we take a journey through her academic paper trail by discussing her papers on how magma and metallicities affect how we think about exoplanetary formation and observations. Then we take a deep dive into Kiersten’s time as a co-host and graduate student including her stance on “publish or perish” and what she’s most excited about starting her NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowship this fall.   Kiersten’s Papers:  https://arxiv.org/pdf/2307.13726 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2407.13821

In this week's episode, we take you on a two-part journey to Europe! First, Lucia and Cormac guide you through the differences of graduate programs in Europe and the US. Then, we jump into a series of mini-interviews with fellow PhD students about their research. We journey through a wide range of topics, including black holes big and smalls, the powerful winds of massive stars, and much more. If you would like to learn more about any of these topics, check out the links below! The mini-interviews were conducted as part of the IMPRS-Astro Hackathon, an unconference organised by Cormac and a few colleges, which brought together students from Heidelberg and Munich. IMPRS-Astro Hackathonhttps://imprs-astro-hackathon.de/ Statistics on physics students in Germany (unfortunately in German)https://www.dpg-physik.de/veroeffentlichungen/magazine-und-online-angebote/pj/studierendenstatistiken Mini-Interviews The circumgalactic medium - Joanne's personal websitehttps://tanofspace.github.io/ Past episodes relating to topics that came up in the mini-interviews Episode 93: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Primordial Black Hole Machineyhttps://astrosoundbites.com/2024/06/20/episode-93-itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-primordial-black-hole-machineyepisode-92-5-the-ship-of-3-seus/ Episode 72: A Trip to the Optometristhttps://astrosoundbites.com/2023/04/15/episode-72-a-trip-to-the-optometrist/ Episode 71: Galaxies Say Halohttps://astrosoundbites.com/2023/03/26/episode-70-astronomy-10-years-into-the-future-part-ii-2/ Episode 70: Astronomy 10 Years into the Future Part IIhttps://astrosoundbites.com/2023/03/04/episode-70-astronomy-10-years-into-the-future-part-ii/ Episode 49: A Fine Dining Experiencehttps://astrosoundbites.com/2022/01/30/episode-49-a-fine-dining-experience/ Episode 3: 6 Unbelievable Facts about Black Holeshttps://astrosoundbites.com/2019/12/07/episode-3-6-unbelievable-facts-about-black-holes/ Credit for the jingle (transition to the mini-interviews): SergeQuadrado on freesound.orghttps://freesound.org/people/SergeQuadrado/sounds/455606/

Was the floor in your childhood home ever lava? If so, you may have been training to visit these spicy magma-filled exoplanets! In this episode, we're turning up the heat and investigating what makes magma/lava so important for potential extraterrestrial life. Sabrina takes us to the poster child of strange lava worlds and finally gives exoplanteers an answer to the long debate of whether it has an atmosphere or if its star blew it away. Then, Cormac tells us all about how water can play well with magma. Kiersten is convinced that these lava worlds might just be the perfect place for a hot summer vacation.   Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2024/06/19/template-post-17/ https://astrobites.org/2023/09/21/magma-oceans-and-surface-water/   Kiersten’s paper:  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/acea85/pdf   Space sound: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3clDSXN26N9lQtCwJgMb2tR/sonification