KICP Workshops, 2007
 
The Future of Very High Energy Gamma-ray Astronomy
May 13 - 14, 2007 | Downtown Chicago, IL Wyndham Hotel
Picture: The Future of Very High Energy Gamma-ray Astronomy
Website

Organizers: Scott P. Wakely, Simon P. Swordy

Sponsored by: Argonne National Lab, (HEP), University of Chicago, Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics.

The goal of this meeting is to bring together an international collaboration of persons interested in the future of gamma-ray astronomy; to define the direction for the next generation observatories and to discuss the scientific motivations and technical parameters required of such an observatory. These ideas are now being formulated into a White Paper requested by the Division of Astrophysics of the American Physical Society.

Organizing Committee:
Karen Byrum (ANL)
Deirdre Horan (ANL)
Simon Swordy (Chicago)
Scott Wakely (Chicago)
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Related Links:
KICP Members: Simon P. Swordy; Scott P. Wakely

 
Life Beyond the Gaussian
June 6 - 8, 2007 | The University of Chicago, KICP - LASR 152
Picture: Life Beyond the Gaussian
Website | Online Materials

Organizers: Simon DeDeo, Dragan Huterer, Hiranya V. Peiris

We believe the time is right for researchers in different areas to share their insights into "Life Beyond the Gaussian". The workshop will be based on the theme of cosmological non-Gaussianity; we focus on three separate but connected areas:

1. primordial non-Gaussianity theory
2. non-Gaussianity from the non-linear evolution of structure: theory
3. observations of non-Gaussianity in the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure

Our aim is to bring together researchers to exchange ideas -- of a theoretical and observational nature -- in the course of an intensive three-day workshop.
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Related Links:
KICP Members: Simon DeDeo; Dragan Huterer; Hiranya V. Peiris

 
Mapping, Yerkes Summer Institute
August 4 - 10, 2007 | Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, WI
Picture: Mapping, Yerkes Summer Institute
Mapping: finding the right direction
Website | Photo Gallery

Scales, coordinate systems, contour maps, and multi-wavelength astronomy are just a few of the concepts that the Space Explorers delved into during the KICP Yerkes Summer Institute (YSI) under the overarching theme of "Mapping." YSI is a week-long, residential, science immersion experience for inner-city middle and high school students held at the historic Yerkes Observatory. A team that includes researchers from the University of Chicago, public school science teachers, and staff from the Office of Special Programs (OSP), our community partner, staffs the institute. The combination of pedagogical expertise, scientific expertise, interested students, and large blocks of time creates a memorable experience for everyone involved.

The theme of YSI 2007, "Mapping," was inspired by the citywide Festival of Maps. Three daytime laboratories were developed for the institute to highlight different aspects of cartography. Mapping the Invisible investigated how astronomers use "invisible" colors such as infrared light to map and understand star-forming regions. Mapping the Yerkes Grounds involved students creating their own maps and testing their accuracy with a scavenger hunt. Projections explored elevation profiles and contour maps. The three nighttime laboratories: Mapping Nebulae in Multiple Wavelengths, Constellations, Determining the Structures of Galaxies, although somewhat dampened by rain this year, were also developed to fit the mapping theme.

Instructors: Matt Bayliss, Charles Brass, Kyle Cudworth, Robert Friedman, Walter Glogowski, Nick Halmagyi, Sarah Hansen, Vivian Hoette, Rich Kron, Zosia Krusberg, Randy Landsberg, Sav Sethi, Chaz Shapiro, Reid Sherman, Ivo Seitenzahl, Chris Thom, Aurora Tyagi, Phil Wisecup, Benjamin White.
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Related Links:
KICP Members: Richard G. Kron; Randall H. Landsberg; Savdeep S. Sethi; Chris Thom
KICP Students: Matthew B. Bayliss; Robert Friedman; Sarah M. Hansen; Zosia Krusberg; Charles Shapiro

 
Baryogenesis Confronts Experiment
November 7 - 9, 2007 | LASR Conference Room 152
Website

Organizer: Carlos E. M. Wagner

One of the most outstanding open questions in cosmology and particle physics is the origin of the observed asymmetry between matter and anti-matter. There are several scenarios which explain such an asymmetry, which rely on physics that ranges from the QCD scale to energies close to the GUT scale.
In this workshop we will analyze these scenarios and discuss their possible tests at present or near future experiments.
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Related Links:
KICP Members: Carlos E. M. Wagner

 
Cosmic Cartography: Mapping the Universe from the Big Bang to the Present
December 3 - 6, 2007 | Gleacher Center
Picture: Cosmic Cartography: Mapping the Universe from the Big Bang to the Present
Website

Organizers: Michael D. Gladders, Stephan S. Meyer

Cosmic maps chart the evolution of the universe from the epoch of recombination 380,000 years after the bang until today. "Cosmic Cartography" will be the first conference devoted to making cosmic maps, as well as the interpretation and analysis of the maps. Topics will include cosmic microwave background, large-scale structures etc.
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Related Links:
KICP Members: Michael D. Gladders; Stephan S. Meyer

 
Cosmic Cartography Journey Through the Universe
December 5, 2007 | 7:00 PM | Rubloff Auditorium Art Institute of Chicago
Website

Join University of Chicago Cosmologists Rocky Kolb and Michael Turner for a cosmic magical mystery tour from Chicago to the edge of the visible universe. Visit observatories around the globe (virtually) and meet people who are mapping the Dark Matter that holds galaxies together and discovering the nature of the Dark Energy, which pulls space apart.
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Related Links:
KICP Members: Juan I. Collar; James W. Cronin; Lucy Fortson; Joshua A. Frieman; Michael D. Gladders; Edward W. Kolb; Andrey V. Kravtsov; Clement L. Pryke; Michael S. Turner

 
"Chicago Maps the Cosmos", Cosmology Short Course
December 7 - 9, 2007 | KICP at the University of Chicago
Picture: Chicago Maps the Cosmos, Cosmology Short Course
Chicago Maps the Cosmos, 2007
Website

This three-day, intensive short course will highlight cartography on the grandest scales: mapping the cosmos. It will explore the ethereal science of cosmology in the concrete terms of the observed hierarchical structure of the universe - which we have only recently come to understand. Chicago Maps the Cosmos will explore our current understanding of the cosmos from the perspective of those who are at the forefront of investigating it, and it will provide participants with the tools they need to bring the excitement of discovery back to their home institutions. Chicago Maps the Cosmos will also encompass the broader themes of Festival of Maps: Chicago - cartography, discovery, exploration, inspiration and showcasing the local riches of the city of Chicago.
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Related Links:
KICP Members: Scott Dodelson; Joshua A. Frieman; Michael D. Gladders; Edward W. Kolb; Andrey V. Kravtsov; Randall H. Landsberg; Clement L. Pryke; Michael S. Turner

 
Mapping Motion, Yerkes Winter Institute
December 27 - 29, 2007 | Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, WI
Picture: Mapping Motion, Yerkes Winter Institute
Mapping Motion
Photo Gallery

The unifying theme of 2007 KICP Yerkes Winter Institute was mapping motion. This theme extended KICP's participation in the citywide Festival of Maps and directly connected to the weekly, Saturday, on campus, explorations of gravity. YWI examined the force of gravity and the ways in which scientists use our understanding of gravity to map motions in the Universe. Twenty-one (21) Space Explorers, and seven (7) laboratory instructors participated in YWI 2007. The day laboratories explored different aspects of motion and gravity. "Shoot the Monkey" involved a classic trajectory lab with the addition of creating an accurate comic flipbook to depict the physics involved. "Galileo's Pendulum" examined what variables influence the motion of a pendulum and how a pendulum can function as a clock. "Weighing a Black Hole" combined basic orbital mechanics with recent observations of the motion of stars around the Galaxy's central black hole to calculate how massive it is. Evening activities included observing the night sky with binoculars, "Big Eyes", and a special presentation by KICP Visiting Scholar Joao de Mello about the Pierre Auger Observatory and its recent results on tracing the source of ultra-high energy cosmic rays back to activity caused by extremely massive black holes at the center of galaxies.

Instructors: Charles Brass, Kyle Cudworth, Joao de Mello, Walter Glogowski, Vivian Hoette, Zosia Krusberg, Rich Kron, Randy Landsberg, Christopher Thom, Jeremy Tinker, Aurora Tyagi, Phil Wisecup.

Related Links:
KICP Members: Richard G. Kron; Randall H. Landsberg; Chris Thom; Jeremy Tinker
KICP Students: Zosia Krusberg