Nuclear Fission to Neutron Stars: a Cosmic Journey
Date: 15/12/2017
ICRAR’s current Visiting Fellow Anna Frebel will bring nuclear physicist Lise Meitner to life with a scintillating showcase of the extraordinary achievements of one of the most significant female scientists of the 20th Century. Anna will transport us to the life and times of 1938 just after Meitner discovered nuclear fission, before taking Meitner’s science into the 21st Century. Anna will share her own work and show how nuclear fission within merging neutron stars is responsible for the production of the heaviest elements in the periodic table, including meitnerium, named in Meitner’s honour.
After Anna’s performance, you are invited to ask questions and explore Scitech’s brand-new feature exhibition Planet Pioneers.
About Anna Frebel
Anna Frebel is an Associate Professor of Physics at MIT. She received her PhD from the Australian National University before completing postdoctoral work at the University of Texas (Austin) and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She has received numerous scientific awards for her research into the oldest stars in the Universe, and the early evolution of the chemical elements. In 2016, Frebel was named one of Science News Magazine’s 10 scientists to watch. Frebel is the author of the popular science book Searching for the Oldest Stars: Ancient Relics from the Early Universe and is the co-founder of STEM on Stage, a STEAM initiative to promote narrative science through living history theatre and film. She is the current Visiting Fellow at ICRAR.
Nuclear Fission to Neutron Stars: a Cosmic Journey
When: 6.30pm-8.30pm, Friday 15th December
Where: Scitech
Cash bar will be available from 6.00pm. Performance will start promptly at 6.30pm.
This event is suitable for 10+ years with adult supervision.
