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Physics Interfaces: Astrophysics
Board on Physics & AstronomyNovember 7, 2009
NAS Beckman Center/Irvine, CA
Michael S TurnerKavli Institute for Cosmological Physics
The University of Chicago
Context
• 20th Century: Physics is King! (esp USA)– Won the war, made the information economy
possible, and ruled the roost• 21st Century: Century of Biology
– Better life, harnessing the cell, understanding living things
• The “Science Mores” of the 21st Century:– More interdisciplinary, more collaborative,
more international, more computational, more expensive, and more faster
Plentiful Opportunities Ahead• Many lie at the boundaries
– Designer materials, sustainable energy, birth of the Universe, physics of living systems, simulation, the extreme Universe, nano-engineering, life elsewhere, … many involve astrophysics
• Balkanization ahead? I hope not.• What defines physics?
– A specific area of science: e.g., chemistry is all about what atoms & molecules do
– An approach to understanding Nature: physics is what physicists do -- quantitative & rigorous; seek underlying principles; reductionist; and innovative instrumentation
Astrophysics Interface: Historically Rich
Great Opportunities Ahead
… there is a reason they named this the Board on Physics & Astronomy
Galileo, Physicist and Inventor of the
Telescope, Physics, and
Modern Science
Universal Law of Gravitation
Father of Astrophysics Janssens and Lockyer: Discovers of He
The first missing matter found (25%)
Solar Physicist, Founder of the first astrophysics department, the Astrophysical
Journal and modern observational astronomy
Five Modern Waves• Quantum Mechanics: stellar end states and the seeds of
structure in the Universe
• General Relativity: from cosmology to black holes
• Nuclear Physics: stars and the origin of the elements
• Radio (followed later by x-ray, infrared, gamma, cosmic rays, neutrinos, gravity waves, …): new eyes on the Universe
• Elementary Particle Physics: dark matter, dark energy, baryogenesis, inflation and the birth of the Universe
The Universe: Dark matter, dark energy and birth of the Universe
Maxwell’s Universe: understanding how magnetism shapes the Universe from
planetary systems to quasars and beyond
The extreme Universe: understanding black holes, neutron stars, supernovae and powerful cosmic accelerators
The Living Universe: understanding planetary systems
The Simulated Universe: from stars and planets to black holes and multiverses
Astrophysics Interface: Historically Rich, Great Opportunities Ahead• The Universe: Dark matter, dark energy and
birth of the Universe• The extreme Universe: understanding black
holes, neutron stars, supernovae and powerful cosmic accelerators
• Maxwell’s Universe: understanding how magnetism shapes the Universe from planets to quasars
• The Living Universe: understanding planetary systems
• The Simulated Universe: from stars and planets to black holes and multiverses
Strong, complex and 400Strong, complex and 400--year old year old relationship that has enriched both relationship that has enriched both
fields, tangled their agendas, fields, tangled their agendas, frustrated their practitioners and in the frustrated their practitioners and in the
process made both physics and process made both physics and astronomy more vitalastronomy more vital
$64,000 Question
Is the Astrophysics/Physics interface being adequately addressed by Astro2010,
EPP2010, NP2010, or will there be a need for Q2CII (I hope not)?
Good signs and bad signs.The jury is still out (especially on Astro2010)