| 15/09/2025 |
David Radice |
Philipp Moesta |
Neutron Star Mergers: to Collapse or not to Collapse? |
Neutron star mergers act as Nature's ultimate supercolliders, where two massive objects—each with ~10^58 nucleons—collide at a quarter of the speed of light. The outcome of these mergers, whether a black hole is formed, and, if so, how quickly, is reflected in their gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals. I will discuss the physics involved in black hole formation and how it can be proved with observations. Finally, I will highlight the future potential of next-generation gravitational-wave experiments and the theoretical challenges that must be addressed to maximize their scientific impact.
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Department of Physics, Penn State, USA |
C4.174, GRAPPA, Science Park 904, Amsterdam |
| 14/10/2025 |
Anna Watts |
Philipp Moesta |
Mapping neutron stars – inside and out |
Neutron stars have a rich and fascinating phenomenology. Their supranuclear density cores contain matter of incredible neutron-richness, and they may harbor stable states of strange matter. They have solid crusts threaded by the strongest magnetic fields in the Universe, and oceans where runaway thermonuclear reactions can lead to powerful explosions. Using X-ray astronomy and General Relativity, we are starting to map these stars, inside and out — generating new insight into both stellar evolution and fundamental physics. |
Astronomical Institute Anton Pannekoek, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
C4.174, GRAPPA, Science Park 904, Amsterdam |
| 28/10/2025 |
Dominic Agius |
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What Can the Cosmological 21-cm Signal Teach Us About Dark Matter? |
The cosmological 21-cm signal is a powerful and novel probe of the thermal and ionization properties of the early Universe in a way that complements the cosmic microwave background. Upcoming experiments targeting this signal are poised to open up a window into the epoch of reionization and the cosmic dawn, providing key insights into star formation and the spectral emission of the first stars — properties that are currently uncertain.
Amidst these uncertainties, dark matter phenomenologists may ask the question: how would energy injections from dark matter affect the signal and lead to constraints? In this talk, I will critically assess this question, highlighting how astrophysical uncertainties shape dark matter constraints, focusing first on accreting primordial black holes. I will then present a novel mechanism through which dark matter can impact the 21-cm signal, where Lyman-alpha from decaying dark matter can enhance the 21-cm signal.
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IFIC, Valencia University, Spain |
C4.174, GRAPPA, Science Park 904, Amsterdam |
| 11/11/2025 |
Amina Helmi |
Youyou Li |
Dynamics and history of the Milky Way |
Our understanding of the Milky Way and its constituents is undergoing a revolutionary change driven primarily by the Gaia space mission, and which is further reinforced when combined with spectroscopic surveys from the ground. In this colloquium, I will highlight a few of the results stemming from the analysis of the truly spectacular Gaia data releases. Specifically, I will discuss what we have learned about the assembly history of the Milky Way thus far. I will also present some intriguing findings regarding its dynamics and our current efforts to place the Milky Way in a proper cosmological context. |
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Groningen, The Netherlands |
C4.174, GRAPPA, Science Park 904, Amsterdam |
| 25/11/2025 | | | | | | |
| 09/12/2025 |
Damiano Fiorillo |
Youyou Li |
TBA |
TBA |
Astroparticle Theory, DESY, Germany |
C4.174, GRAPPA, Science Park 904, Amsterdam |
| 13/01/2026 | | | | | | |
| 27/01/2026 |
Béatrice Bonga |
Rodrigo Vicente |
Extreme-mass-ratio resonances |
TBA |
Radboud University, The Netherlands |
C4.174, GRAPPA, Science Park 904, Amsterdam |
| 10/02/2026 |
Luca Broggi |
Rodrigo Vicente |
The astrophysics of extreme-mass-ratio inspirals |
TBA |
Milano-Bicocca University |
C4.174, GRAPPA, Science Park 904, Amsterdam |
| 24/02/2026 | | | | | | |
| 10/03/2026 | | | | | | |
| 24/03/2026 | | | | | | |
| 14/04/2026 | | | | | | |
| 28/04/2026 | | | | | | |
| 12/05/2026 | | | | | | |
| 26/05/2026 | | | | | | |
| 09/06/2026 | | | | | | |
| 23/06/2026 | | | | | | |
