ATMoB Business Meeting and Presentation.
Our Speaker will be Prof. Priyamvada Natarajan, Chair Astronomy Department, Yale University
Talk title: UNVEILING THE INVISIBLE UNIVERSE WITH JWST
Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan is an astrophysicist and cosmologist and currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Astronomy at Yale University, where she is the Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics. Her research focuses on the formation and growth of black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and the large-scale structure of the universe. She is widely recognized for her pioneering theoretical models predicting how the very first black holes formed and how supermassive black holes grow over cosmic time.
She is a key contributor to JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) science, especially in understanding unexpectedly early and massive black holes and galaxies in the young universe. She has also made significant contributions to gravitational lensing, mapping dark matter in galaxy clusters, and using these "cosmic telescopes" to probe the distant universe.
Dr. Priyamvada has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, named one of TIME100 Most Influential People in 2024, and received numerous honors for both her scientific achievements and science communication.
She is also the author of the acclaimed book Mapping the Heavens, which explores how scientific revolutions in cosmology reshape our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
Talk summary:
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is transforming our understanding of the early universe, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the birth of the first galaxies and black holes. These discoveries are overturning long-standing ideas about how quickly structure emerged after the Big Bang and are revealing cosmic surprises — from unexpectedly mature galaxies at extreme distances to massive black holes forming far earlier than anticipated. In this talk, I will highlight some of JWST’s most exciting recent findings and connect them to earlier theoretical ideas. I will explain how these observations challenge existing models of cosmic evolution and raise new questions about the interplay between black holes, galaxies, and the invisible universe of dark matter and dark energy. I will close with a preview of where the field is headed next in terms of new instruments and facilities.
Our meetings are held in the Philips Auditorium at the CfA in Cambridge, MA. We use the side entrance, which is around the corner to the right of the main entrance.