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IoA Institute of Astronomy Talk Lists

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This is a List of Talks Lists that is a List of all IoA Seminars, Colloquia, Extra talks, IoA Stellar Pops and Extragalactic Gathering, etc. It is used as a feed for the IOA website and Digital Display screens. Individual Talks should NOT be added to this Talk lists. They should be added to one of the series that feed this list.
URL: https://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/13724
Updated: 41 min 20 sec ago

Thu 30 Apr 16:00: From stellar twins to double black holes – what gravitational waves are telling us about stars

Tue, 14/04/2026 - 09:06
From stellar twins to double black holes – what gravitational waves are telling us about stars

Abstract not available

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Fri 08 May 11:30: Cosmology on Small Scales: The Baryonic Frontier Abstract:

Mon, 13/04/2026 - 08:28
Cosmology on Small Scales: The Baryonic Frontier Abstract:

On the largest scales, the Universe is remarkably simple. The growth of structure is governed primarily by gravity, allowing cosmology to make spectacularly precise predictions that have been confirmed by observations. Yet on smaller scales, this simplicity breaks down. The ordinary matter, consisting of gas, stars, black holes and galaxies, introduces complex physical processes that reshape the distribution of matter in ways that remain poorly understood. In this talk, I will argue that this “messy” regime is not merely a complication, but a new frontier. Baryonic physics sits at the interface between cosmology and astrophysics: it governs how galaxies form and evolve, while simultaneously limiting our ability to extract cosmological information from small-scale structure. Understanding this interplay requires connecting the galaxy-halo relation, the thermodynamic state of cosmic gas, and the impact of feedback from stars and supermassive black holes. I will highlight how a new generation of observations is beginning to directly map the distribution and properties of baryons across cosmic time. By combining large-scale galaxy surveys such as DESI and Rubin Observatory with measurements of cosmic microwave background secondary anisotropies and X-ray emission, we can probe gas density, pressure, temperature, and total matter in a unified framework. These measurements open the door to tracking baryons as a function of halo mass, redshift, and galaxy type, transforming them from a source of uncertainty into a powerful cosmological probe. Ultimately, bridging the gap between small-scale astrophysics and large-scale cosmology will be essential for the next era of precision cosmology, and may offer new insights into the nature of dark matter, dark energy, and structure formation itself.

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Tue 12 May 16:00: Strange New Worlds

Fri, 10/04/2026 - 12:58
Strange New Worlds

Super-Earths and sub-Neptunes are the most abundant exoplanets discovered in our galaxy to date. However, much of their nature and origin remains shrouded in mystery. Generally speaking, super-Earths and sub-Neptunes are thought to have formed  as one population with primordial hydrogen-dominated envelopes. However, most super-Earths lost their primordial atmospheres via thermally driven winds. In my talk, I will present new planet formation and evolution models that include the interplay between physics and chemistry and apply them to Earth, super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. I will show that magma ocean – atmosphere interactions expected in sub-Neptune exoplanets lead to signatures in their transmission spectra that are readily observable with JWST . In addition, hydrogen is efficiently sequestered into the interior, oxidizing iron and endogenously producing water. I will conclude by discussing possible parallels between Earth’s formation and that of super-Earths, shedding new light on Earth’s primary water reservoir, origin of the light elements in its iron core and oxidation state.

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Tue 12 May 16:00: Strange New Worlds

Fri, 10/04/2026 - 12:38
Strange New Worlds

Abstract not available

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Fri 10 Apr 16:00: Test

Fri, 10/04/2026 - 11:52
Test

Abstract not available

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Fri 10 Apr 11:30: SMBH growth and formation at z~1-10 revealed by space telescopes

Wed, 08/04/2026 - 08:17
SMBH growth and formation at z~1-10 revealed by space telescopes

Abstract not available

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Fri 01 May 11:30: The LMC-SMC System: A New Laboratory for Galaxy Evolution, Dynamics and Dark Matter

Mon, 06/04/2026 - 13:18
The LMC-SMC System: A New Laboratory for Galaxy Evolution, Dynamics and Dark Matter

The LMC and SMC are the most massive satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. We now know that this star forming pair of galaxies is also the closest example of a recent galactic collision. The wealth of observational data from surveys like HST , Gaia and SDSS presents a novel opportunity to use the LMC and SMC as precision laboratories for galaxy dynamics and evolution. However, past tidal and hydrodynamics interactions between the LMC and SMC have left both galaxies in a high state of disequilibrium. Theoretical models of the LMC and SMC ’s’ disequilibrium are critically needed to properly interpret and analyze the observational data. In this talk, I will present new theoretical models for: (i) the strongly disturbed internal structure, kinematics and ISM properties of the LMC and SMC ; and (ii) the time evolution of the dark matter distribution of the combined LMC -SMC system. With upcoming, state-of-the-art simulations of the LMC -SMC-Milky Way interaction history, I will show how the LMC and SMC galaxies are promising future testbeds for ISM and dark matter physics.

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Fri 17 Jul 11:30: Disentangling preventative & ejective AGN feedback on a population basis with simulations, observations & machine learning

Thu, 02/04/2026 - 14:22
Disentangling preventative & ejective AGN feedback on a population basis with simulations, observations & machine learning

Abstract not available

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Fri 10 Jul 11:30: Title to be confirmed

Thu, 02/04/2026 - 03:56
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Fri 17 Jul 11:30: Title to be confirmed

Tue, 31/03/2026 - 00:09
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Mon 23 Mar 16:00: Detecting Localised Density Anomalies in Multivariate Data

Fri, 20/03/2026 - 09:37
Detecting Localised Density Anomalies in Multivariate Data

Detecting localized differences between two samples is a central task in scientific data analysis, with applications ranging from signal identification to regime-change detection and model validation. In this talk, I will present EagleEye, a method for identifying local over- and under-densities in multivariate feature spaces. EagleEye detects localized over- and under-densities by comparing the local neighbourhood structure of two samples. Each point is assigned an anomaly score based on whether the composition of its nearby neighbours is consistent with a binomial null model, and these pointwise detections are then consolidated into interpretable anomaly regions. The method also provides estimates of the background level and signal purity of the detected regions. I will first illustrate the method through a synthetic example with known localized over- and under-densities. I will then demonstrate its application in a new-physics search at particle collider experiments in the presence of systematic background mismodelling, and in a climate analysis study of localized changes in spatiotemporal temperature-pattern recurrence. I will also present ongoing work applying EagleEye to searches for faint dwarf galaxy candidates in Gaia DR3 .

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Fri 12 Jun 11:30: Feedback and the circumgalactic medium

Wed, 18/03/2026 - 11:54
Feedback and the circumgalactic medium

Abstract not available

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Fri 12 Jun 11:30: Title to be confirmed

Tue, 17/03/2026 - 15:10
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Mon 23 Mar 16:00: Detecting Localised Density Anomalies in Multivariate Data

Sun, 15/03/2026 - 21:30
Detecting Localised Density Anomalies in Multivariate Data

Abstract not available

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Wed 18 Mar 13:45: Physical properties and redshift distributions of KiDS-1000 galaxies using pop-cosmos

Sun, 15/03/2026 - 16:59
Physical properties and redshift distributions of KiDS-1000 galaxies using pop-cosmos

Accurate redshift calibration and physically motivated source sample selection are central challenges for precision weak lensing cosmology. In this talk, I will present our recent work on forward modelling redshift distributions and inferring physical properties of weak lensing galaxies in the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS-1000) using a generative model for the galaxy population. The framework enabling this work is pop-cosmos, a calibrated galaxy population model that allows principled Bayesian inference of individual galaxy redshifts and physical properties for millions of KiDS-1000 sources. Validation against spectroscopic samples demonstrates low bias and scatter in the inferred photometric redshifts, while physical property inference enables the construction of weak lensing catalogues that mitigate intrinsic alignment systematics. We also develop a forward-modelling framework to infer the redshift distributions of the KiDS-1000 galaxies. By applying a KiDS data and survey selection model to synthetic photometric data of mock pop-cosmos galaxies, we directly characterize the redshift distributions in each of the five tomographic bins of KiDS-1000, thereby bypassing the need for spectroscopic reweighting used in conventional redshift calibration methods. Overall, our results demonstrate how the pop-cosmos galaxy population model can deliver accurate redshift distributions as well as galaxy properties, crucial for connecting galaxy evolution physics and weak lensing cosmology with Rubin LSST and Euclid.

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Wed 18 Mar 13:15: Emulating the Climates of Potentially Habitable Exoplanets with Machine Learning

Sun, 15/03/2026 - 16:58
Emulating the Climates of Potentially Habitable Exoplanets with Machine Learning

We present an emulator that predicts the 3D climate of rocky exoplanets in milliseconds, with calibrated uncertainties. Trained on simulations from multiple GCMs, it produces spatially resolved fields of temperature, humidity, winds, clouds, and radiation across a broad space of planet properties, including M-dwarf to G-star hosts and snowball worlds to moist greenhouses. Emulator errors are comparable to or smaller than the disagreement between GCMs themselves.

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Thu 07 May 16:00: Sera Markoff Inaugural Lecture for the Plumian Professorship in Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy - 'Staring into the heart of darkness: from theory to the direct imaging of black holes'

Tue, 10/03/2026 - 17:04
Sera Markoff Inaugural Lecture for the Plumian Professorship in Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy - 'Staring into the heart of darkness: from theory to the direct imaging of black holes'

Black holes are the strangest prediction of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. The boundary around a black hole, known as the event horizon, is incredibly challenging to observe under normal conditions. However when a black hole consumes nearby material, it powers a system emitting partides and light. With a precise enough telescope, we can even see this as a ring of light surrounding a dark depression.

In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a planet-sized array of radio telescopes, directly imaged this ring around two supermassive black holes. These iconic images mark both a culmination of a century of discovery and the beginning of a new chapter, with implications ranging from galaxy formation to the mystery of the highest energy particles detected on Earth.

In a talk mixing history, results, and personal anecdotes, I will convey the wonder of “seeing” the Universe in a new light, and sometimes with no light at all. I will also explore what lies on the horizon, as multi-messenger observations and advances in theoretical modelling converge on some of the deepest unsolved problems in physics.

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Thu 07 May 16:00: Sera Markoff Inaugural Lecture for the Plumian Professorship in Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy - 'Staring into the heart of darkness: from theory to the direct imaging of black holes'

Tue, 10/03/2026 - 13:22
Sera Markoff Inaugural Lecture for the Plumian Professorship in Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy - 'Staring into the heart of darkness: from theory to the direct imaging of black holes'

Black holes are the strangest prediction of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. The boundary around a black hole, known as the event horizon, is incredibly challenging to observe under normal conditions. However when a black hole consumes nearby material, it powers a system emitting partides and light. With a precise enough telescope, we can even see this as a ring of light surrounding a dark depression.

In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a planet-sized array of radio telescopes, directly imaged this ring around two supermassive black holes. These iconic images mark both a culmination of a century of discovery and the beginning of a new chapter, with implications ranging from galaxy formation to the mystery of the highest energy particles detected on Earth.

In a talk mixing history, results, and personal anecdotes, I will convey the wonder of “seeing” the Universe in a new light, and sometimes with no light at all. I will also explore what lies on the horizon, as multi-messenger observations and advances in theoretical modelling converge on some of the deepest unsolved problems in physics.

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Thu 07 May 16:00: Sera Markoff Inaugural Lecture for the Plumian Professorship in Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy - 'Staring into the heart of darkness: from theory to the direct imaging of black holes'

Tue, 10/03/2026 - 11:31
Sera Markoff Inaugural Lecture for the Plumian Professorship in Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy - 'Staring into the heart of darkness: from theory to the direct imaging of black holes'

Black holes are the strangest prediction of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. The boundary around a black hole, known as the event horizon, is incredibly challenging to observe under normal conditions. However when a black hole consumes nearby material, it powers a system emitting partides and light. With a precise enough telescope, we can even see this as a ring of light surrounding a dark depression.

In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a planet-sized array of radio telescopes, directly imaged this ring around two supermassive black holes. These iconic images mark both a culmination of a century of discovery and the beginning of a new chapter, with implications ranging from galaxy formation to the mystery of the highest energy particles detected on Earth.

In a talk mixing history, results, and personal anecdotes, I will convey the wonder of “seeing” the Universe in a new light, and sometimes with no light at all. I will also explore what lies on the horizon, as multi-messenger observations and advances in theoretical modelling converge on some of the deepest unsolved problems in physics.

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Mon 23 Mar 16:00: Title to be confirmed

Tue, 10/03/2026 - 11:28
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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