Rachel Ward, who is in the final year of her PhD studies in astrophysics at McMaster University will give a talk on:
A Star is Born: Uncovering the True Nature of Molecular Clouds
Giant molecular clouds are the birthplace of stars; however, the true nature of these clouds remains a great mystery. The first step towards achieving a greater understanding of star formation is exploring the structure and evolution of the clouds in which they form. Learn how powerful supercomputers are used to visualize both simulated and observed star-forming clouds to help solve several major unanswered questions in star formation.
Rachel received her Bachelor’s degree from York University in 2009 and her Master’s degree from McMaster University in 2011. Over the past ten years, she has been involved in various astronomy and science outreach initiatives, coordinating events for Let’s Talk Science, the McMaster 3D Theatre, McMaster’s Sidewalk Astronomy, Science Rendezvous, and the York Observatory, and also as a presenter at the McCallion Planetarium and invited speaker at the David Dunlap Observatory and Ontario Science Centre.