Dr Robert Minchin
@robminchin.bsky.social
Radio astronomer at NRAO, posting on a personal basis. Affirming Christian (Episcopalian). Alumnus of Durham (MSci) & Cardiff (PhD). He/him.
High altitude balloon seen to the north of #Socorro this evening. Without the telephoto lens it was just a bright object hovering high in the sky at dusk.
September 15, 2025 at 1:26 AM
High altitude balloon seen to the north of #Socorro this evening. Without the telephoto lens it was just a bright object hovering high in the sky at dusk.
It was our annual picnic/mass at a campground in a local National Forest. I played guitar (with others, not pictured). The question was raised as to whether barbecue smoke counts as incense.
September 8, 2025 at 3:25 AM
It was our annual picnic/mass at a campground in a local National Forest. I played guitar (with others, not pictured). The question was raised as to whether barbecue smoke counts as incense.
Led MP for the first time … and the second time (two churches a 45 minute dash apart). I think it went okay, despite being stopped on the way up the aisle at the second church and told the lectionary book hadn’t been put out – I was able to deploy it before the end of the opening hymn!
June 30, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Led MP for the first time … and the second time (two churches a 45 minute dash apart). I think it went okay, despite being stopped on the way up the aisle at the second church and told the lectionary book hadn’t been put out – I was able to deploy it before the end of the opening hymn!
April 28, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
March 5, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
My REU student, Yulián Humaran of UPR Mayagüez, did a great job presenting his poster on signs of ram pressure in ionized-carbon rich dwarfs in the Virgo cluster today at #AAS245 #RadioAstronomy #ExtragalacticAstronomy
January 16, 2025 at 8:50 PM
My REU student, Yulián Humaran of UPR Mayagüez, did a great job presenting his poster on signs of ram pressure in ionized-carbon rich dwarfs in the Virgo cluster today at #AAS245 #RadioAstronomy #ExtragalacticAstronomy
Final talk for the session is Jessie Runnoe, on “Nanohertz Gravitational Waves and Their Electromagnetic Counterparts”.
Last parsec problem – how do smbh binaries cross the last pc to the centi-pc scale where GW emission drives orbit decay?
Last parsec problem – how do smbh binaries cross the last pc to the centi-pc scale where GW emission drives orbit decay?
January 15, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Final talk for the session is Jessie Runnoe, on “Nanohertz Gravitational Waves and Their Electromagnetic Counterparts”.
Last parsec problem – how do smbh binaries cross the last pc to the centi-pc scale where GW emission drives orbit decay?
Last parsec problem – how do smbh binaries cross the last pc to the centi-pc scale where GW emission drives orbit decay?
ngVLA will contribute by resolving GW emitting smbh binaries and their progenitors. Can resolve smbh binaries in nearby clusters like Virgo and Fornax. Further away, use ngVLA + space VLBI. To resolve 3,000 au separation at 100 Mpc – separation 30 μas, so need 70,000 km baseline at 3mm!
#AAS245
#AAS245
January 15, 2025 at 8:05 PM
ngVLA will contribute by resolving GW emitting smbh binaries and their progenitors. Can resolve smbh binaries in nearby clusters like Virgo and Fornax. Further away, use ngVLA + space VLBI. To resolve 3,000 au separation at 100 Mpc – separation 30 μas, so need 70,000 km baseline at 3mm!
#AAS245
#AAS245
Next up is Joe Lazio, talking about “Ground- and Space-Based Long Baseline Interferometry” – in particular its relationship to pulsar timing arrays and merging black holes.
January 15, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Next up is Joe Lazio, talking about “Ground- and Space-Based Long Baseline Interferometry” – in particular its relationship to pulsar timing arrays and merging black holes.
After Paul telling us how ngVLA will find and measure Galactic centre pulsars, next is Thankful Cromartie on “Probing the Extremes of Physical Laws with Pulsars” – and how ngVLA will make this possible. Not just sensitivity but also sub-arrays, beam forming and high freq capability.
#AAS245
#AAS245
January 15, 2025 at 7:34 PM
After Paul telling us how ngVLA will find and measure Galactic centre pulsars, next is Thankful Cromartie on “Probing the Extremes of Physical Laws with Pulsars” – and how ngVLA will make this possible. Not just sensitivity but also sub-arrays, beam forming and high freq capability.
#AAS245
#AAS245
First speaker is Paul Demorest, talking about “Sgr A* and Its Neighbors: Fundamental Physics with Galactic Center Pulsars”. Pulsars around Sgr A* would measure the gravitational field around the smbh, testing GR predictions such as “cosmic censorship” and the “no hair theorem”.
January 15, 2025 at 7:16 PM
First speaker is Paul Demorest, talking about “Sgr A* and Its Neighbors: Fundamental Physics with Galactic Center Pulsars”. Pulsars around Sgr A* would measure the gravitational field around the smbh, testing GR predictions such as “cosmic censorship” and the “no hair theorem”.
If you looking for the #AAS245 session “Fundamental Physics and New Messengers”, it’s in Maryland Ballroom B, on the left of a narrow corridor between ballrooms A & C!
January 15, 2025 at 7:12 PM
If you looking for the #AAS245 session “Fundamental Physics and New Messengers”, it’s in Maryland Ballroom B, on the left of a narrow corridor between ballrooms A & C!
More DSA-2000 with Gregg Hallinan speaking again in the Exhibit Hall theatre #AAS245 is just full of #RadioAstronomy!
January 15, 2025 at 4:37 PM
More DSA-2000 with Gregg Hallinan speaking again in the Exhibit Hall theatre #AAS245 is just full of #RadioAstronomy!
Closing out the session, Liam Connor talking about strong lensing synergies. Fewer than 100 currently known in the radio. Want fast survey speed, deep redshift distribution, and sub-arcsec resolution. DSA-2000 expected to find 50-100k sources. Science needs resolution – ngVLA delivers this.
#AAS245
#AAS245
January 15, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Closing out the session, Liam Connor talking about strong lensing synergies. Fewer than 100 currently known in the radio. Want fast survey speed, deep redshift distribution, and sub-arcsec resolution. DSA-2000 expected to find 50-100k sources. Science needs resolution – ngVLA delivers this.
#AAS245
#AAS245
Science continues with Thankful Cromartie talking about synergies in pulsar science. #RadioAstronomy #AAS245
Pulsar timing arrays – smbh mergers. NANOGrav currently has monthly obs with GBT and VLA, and daily CHIME. lost Arecibo :(. 2023 detection of GW background.
Pulsar timing arrays – smbh mergers. NANOGrav currently has monthly obs with GBT and VLA, and daily CHIME. lost Arecibo :(. 2023 detection of GW background.
January 15, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Science continues with Thankful Cromartie talking about synergies in pulsar science. #RadioAstronomy #AAS245
Pulsar timing arrays – smbh mergers. NANOGrav currently has monthly obs with GBT and VLA, and daily CHIME. lost Arecibo :(. 2023 detection of GW background.
Pulsar timing arrays – smbh mergers. NANOGrav currently has monthly obs with GBT and VLA, and daily CHIME. lost Arecibo :(. 2023 detection of GW background.
Now moving to science synergy with Alessandra Corsi talking about multi-messenger interfacing. Timescales from a few seconds to a few years. LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA O5 run (gravitational waves) well aligned with DSA-2000 start of operations. Following run likely to be aligned with ngVLA early science.
January 15, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Now moving to science synergy with Alessandra Corsi talking about multi-messenger interfacing. Timescales from a few seconds to a few years. LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA O5 run (gravitational waves) well aligned with DSA-2000 start of operations. Following run likely to be aligned with ngVLA early science.
Rachel Akeson talking about archiving: “DSA-2000, ngVLA and the era of surveys and big data”. Something the optical community has got used to – data sets to big to work with. Many other big surveys across multiple wavelengths. Interoperability – IVOA standards.
January 15, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Rachel Akeson talking about archiving: “DSA-2000, ngVLA and the era of surveys and big data”. Something the optical community has got used to – data sets to big to work with. Many other big surveys across multiple wavelengths. Interoperability – IVOA standards.
Eric Murphy next with a summary of the ngVLA project. Fills gap in frequency between SKA and ALMA. Synergy with DSA-2000 in studies of galaxies, pulsars and the dynamic radio sky.
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
January 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Eric Murphy next with a summary of the ngVLA project. Fills gap in frequency between SKA and ALMA. Synergy with DSA-2000 in studies of galaxies, pulsars and the dynamic radio sky.
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
Gregg Hallinan starts the splinter with a summary of DSA-2000. Survey-optimised telescope near the Nevada–Utah border. “Cake pan” feed actually made from cake pans from Fat Daddio!
January 15, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Gregg Hallinan starts the splinter with a summary of DSA-2000. Survey-optimised telescope near the Nevada–Utah border. “Cake pan” feed actually made from cake pans from Fat Daddio!
“Our friendly astronomers are waiting to answer your questions”.
I’m right at the back of the #AAS245 hall, in the middle (straight down from the AAS 125 years pillar). Come hear about my latest #RadioAstronomy results on possible “dark galaxies”!
I’m right at the back of the #AAS245 hall, in the middle (straight down from the AAS 125 years pillar). Come hear about my latest #RadioAstronomy results on possible “dark galaxies”!
January 14, 2025 at 10:09 PM
“Our friendly astronomers are waiting to answer your questions”.
I’m right at the back of the #AAS245 hall, in the middle (straight down from the AAS 125 years pillar). Come hear about my latest #RadioAstronomy results on possible “dark galaxies”!
I’m right at the back of the #AAS245 hall, in the middle (straight down from the AAS 125 years pillar). Come hear about my latest #RadioAstronomy results on possible “dark galaxies”!
After the #AAS245 poster session today, there’s a Christian Astronomers dinner - meet at 18:30 at the noticeboard (by the registration desk).
January 14, 2025 at 8:35 PM
After the #AAS245 poster session today, there’s a Christian Astronomers dinner - meet at 18:30 at the noticeboard (by the registration desk).
Recommendations:
*VLBA Unchanged*
VLA should maintain at least L, S, C, X, K bands. Fixed configuration, if done, should be only for a couple of years.
Conclusion: Any reduction In capability to the VLA or VLBA will reduce science return
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
*VLBA Unchanged*
VLA should maintain at least L, S, C, X, K bands. Fixed configuration, if done, should be only for a couple of years.
Conclusion: Any reduction In capability to the VLA or VLBA will reduce science return
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
January 14, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Recommendations:
*VLBA Unchanged*
VLA should maintain at least L, S, C, X, K bands. Fixed configuration, if done, should be only for a couple of years.
Conclusion: Any reduction In capability to the VLA or VLBA will reduce science return
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
*VLBA Unchanged*
VLA should maintain at least L, S, C, X, K bands. Fixed configuration, if done, should be only for a couple of years.
Conclusion: Any reduction In capability to the VLA or VLBA will reduce science return
#AAS245 #RadioAstronomy
Next up – Joe Lazio presenting the transition concept. Draft report from the transition advisory group posted on Astro-ph this morning.
January 14, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Next up – Joe Lazio presenting the transition concept. Draft report from the transition advisory group posted on Astro-ph this morning.