The assembled scientists knew that, if we wanted to understand the Galaxy’s evolution, we couldn’t just concentrate on one element. By measuring the amounts of each element in many stars, we can piece together which and how many of our Galaxy’s stars were born, and when. Each type of star produces different elements, in a characteristic lifespan. Because each element in a star’s atmosphere absorbs light at a characteristic wavelength, we use spectroscopy to infer which elements are present, and their relative abundances. The atmospheres of stars are chemical time-capsules of the gas from the time the star was born. Our research area, studying the chemical compositions of stars of different ages, was well-represented. The conference brought together experts on dark matter, orbital motions, gas dynamics and hydrodynamics, and finding the smallest galaxies around the Milky Way. One such conference was 2008’s “ Back to the Galaxy II,” where astrophysicists interested in understanding the history of the Milky Way gathered at KITP. One of KITP’s goals is to bring together theorists and experimentalists with different expertise to intensively study important issues. Photo by Jennifer Johnson and Inese Ivans.Ģ018 version of the evolving periodic table color-coded by the element’s source. The periodic table color-coded by the source of the element in the solar system, hand-drawn at the 2008 “Back to the Galaxy II” conference.
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