Stories from the Submillimeter Sky by Mimi Fuchs
Mimi Fuchs will be telling us about her experiences as a telescope operator for the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). As you might recall, the EHT is an Earth-sized radio telescope consisting of a large number of radio telescopes across the globe operated simultaneously and most famously used to image the event horizon of the supermassive black hole at the center of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. The key to making such images is to make observations at the submillimeter wavelengths that penetrate the thick dust permeating galactic cores. Mimi's description of her presentation is below. It will be wonderful to hear Mimi's inside perspective on this incredible project. I hope you'll be able join us.
"Spanning ~85-230 GHz, the submillimeter portion of the electromagnetic spectrum provides incredible opportunities for astronomers to learn about stellar and planetary formation. Yet it's notoriously difficult to observe the cosmos at these frequencies using ground-based telescopes. Borrowing techniques from optical and radio astronomy, submillimeter telescopes typically rely on both single-dish antennas and telescope arrays in order to provide superior observations of cold dust and gas for astronomers. In 2019, the use of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) allowed scientists with Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) to capture the very first picture of the "edge" of a black hole.
During this talk, Mimi will give an overview of submillimeter astronomy, the joys and challenges of observing in submillimeter wavelengths, highlight some recent discoveries, and discuss her experiences working as a telescope operator for the Event Horizon Telescope."
About Mimi Fuchs
Mimi Fuchs is a former Telescope Systems Specialist for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Prior to JCMT, she worked in telescope operations and public outreach for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Submillimeter Array. Mimi has also enjoyed teaching in science museums, such as The Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, PA) and the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC). She received her B.S. in Astrophysics from Haverford College and is currently a GAANN Graduate Fellow in Systems Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.