Institut Spatial de McGill McGill Space Institute 2015-2016 Annual Report • 1 Contents 3 ... About the McGill Space Institute Outreach and Inreach 4 ... A Message from the Director 18 ... Education and Public Outreach 6 ... McGill Space Institute Launch 19 ... MSI in the News 21 ... MSI Fellowships Research Updates 22 ... MSI Seminars 7 ... The Search for Planet 9 23 ... A Week at the MSI 8 ... Simulating Exoplanet Atmospheres 23 ... Education, Outreach and Diversity 9 ... Dark Energy and Structure Growth 24 ... iREX 10 ... The Atmospheres of Hot Jupiters 24 ... Google Summer of Code 11 ... Dark Matter and Gamma Rays 25 ... LIGO Press Conference Event 12 ... Ice, Water and Earth in Antarctica 13 ... The Limits of Microbial Life About the MSI 14 ... Hands-on Radio Interferometers 26 ... Awards 16 ... A Repeating Fast Radio Burst 28 ... 2015-2016 MSI Members 17 ... Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping 29 ... 2015-2016 MSI Board Experiment 29 ... Visitors 2015-2016 30 ... Facilities used by MSI members 31 ... MSI Faculty Collaborations 33 ... 2015-2016 MSI Publications 2 • About the McGill Space Institute The McGill Space Institute is an interdisciplinary The current research themes include: centre that brings together researchers engaged in • Early Universe astrophysics, planetary science, atmospheric sci- ence, astrobiology and other space-related research • Cosmology at McGill University. • Galaxy Evolution The main goals of the Institute are to: • Astrophysics • Provide an intellectual home for faculty research staf, and students engaged in • Nuclear Astrophysics astrophysics, planetary science, and other • Compact Objects space-related research at McGill. • Exoplanets • Support the development of technology and instrumentation for space-related research. • Planetary Science • Foster cross-fertilization and • Planetary Analogues interdisciplinary interactions and collaborations among Institute members in • Astrobiology Institute-relevant research areas. • Microbial Diversity in Extreme • Share with students, educators, and the Environments public an understanding of and an appreciation • The Search for Extraterrestrial for the goals, techniques and results of the Biosignatures. Institute’s research. The intellectual hub of the Institute eet tr is at 3550 University, where S ty many of the Institute mem- si er iv bers work, collaborate with n U visitors, and Institute 0 5 5 events are held. 3 • 3 A Message from the Director importantly, MSI has talented, enthusiastic stu- Prof. Victoria Kaspi dents and postdocs, who, thanks to a generous McGill Space Institute Director gift by the Trottier Family Foundation, are being trained to be the next generation of scientists. All It’s hard to believe a full year has passed since the this occurs in a warm, stimulating, friendly envi- creation of the McGill Space Institute. ronment where, for example, we take turns putting out the 3pm tea and cookies. And here the ‘we’ It seems like just yesterday that it was merely an means that even the Director can occasionally be idea — a concept we batted around, a vision of spotted preparing snacks for everyone! what could be accomplished with a novel type of research interaction, a way to bring talented pro- Looking back, it was my 2-year adventure as As- fessors, postdocs and graduate students working sociate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Science on related topics together, to stimulate new ideas that persuaded me that in spite of the impressive and directions in space-related research. world-class research strengths at McGill, some- thing key was missing from the landscape. As ADR And what a year it has been! The MSI is now nes- I met dozens of brilliant, world-class McGill sci- tled comfortably in our ‘Space Shack’ at 3550 Uni- entists I had never seen before my administrative versity. The house has been equipped with tables, stint, in spite of having been at McGill a full decade screens, and especially black- ts and pro den fesso prior. How could there be so many talented, ac- stu rs boards, to encourage and SI M complished people in my own community, without h stimulate thought and it me being aware? w new ideas. On a daily ts e basis now, MSI e m i For example, I saw that there was research is bustling with p s on one of the foremost exciting topics of a scientifc dis- K modern science — extrasolar planets — a i course consisting r o going on simultaneously in the Depart- t c of one-on-one i ment of Earth and Planetary Science, the V . conversations, f o Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic r weekly seminars, P Sciences, and in the Department of Phys- discussion groups, ics, without these diferent re- Prof. and workshops. Victor ia K searchers having their paths Topics you’ll hear asp i, M ever cross, or even covered in the MSI cG il knowing of each l S lounge range from the p a others existence! c e origins of the Universe to the I n How could this s beginning of life. t it make sense? u t e D We have visitors from i r Universities e around the world coming c t o are tradi- through regularly. Most r tionally 4 • grouped into Departmental constructs that, while in people regardless of their age or background. efciently categorizing people for administrative For this reason MSI also has outreach as a key item purposes, ultimately limit the potential intellec- in its mission. Joining forces with AstroMcGill, a tual vision of their inhabitants, forcing them and grass-roots astronomical student-run organization their ideas into artifcial knowledge ‘silos.’ Given that promotes science to the public, MSI hopes to the many responsibilities University faculty have, use the great popularity of its research as a tool it is only natural that emergence from one’s silo with which to promote science broadly in the pop- is difcult. Yet the reality is that the natural world ulation. Whether telling the public about asteroid represents an amazing continuum of phenomena; capture (as in our national-press-covered MSI progress in many of the most interesting scientifc Launch) or about Advanced LIGO’s discovery of problems demands breadth of expertise unhin- gravitational waves from a binary black hole merg- dered by artifcial, bureaucratic barriers. er via a standing-room only party with live feed from Washington, DC, MSI prides itself on making The McGill Space Institute was created to address forefront research accessible to the public . this issue in the domain of space research. As a McGill research centre, our goal is to bring togeth- As you peruse our frst Annual Report, I hope you’ll er top McGill minds — including faculty, postdocs be impressed by how far we have come in so short a and students — working on related space-relevant time. With baby steps as large as these, we are on a subjects that are at the cutting edge of modern decidedly upward trajectory, in which, quite ftting- science. MSI tackles some of the biggest questions ly, the sky is the limit. out there: Are there worlds like our own elsewhere in our Galaxy? Does Planet 9 exist? What is the I am very proud of what we have accomplished in nature of the ubiquitous Dark Matter and Dark forming the MSI. And here the ‘we’ means each and Energy in our Universe? How do black holes and every MSI member, from student through facul- neutron stars work and can they help us under- ty, as this is the lifeblood of our centre. The task stand the nature of of gravity? of fostering research interaction like sults of several im e re prom that at MSI is about bringing g th pt win u d These same questions, of prime ho isc world-class talent together , s us ty si interest to scientists, are si on in a stimulating envi- er s iv also exciting to the Mc- n ronment, to make U 0 Gill community and 5 something bigger 5 3 the public at large. t than the sum of a e Astronomy, astro- g its parts and n u physics, cosmology, o inspiring to l e the search for h the world. t n extraterrestrial i s life — these are d r a all topics that o b k inspire wonder c a l B • 5 o ep L y ll e K y b n i k p M m S u I p D I S i r e M c t o r V i c k y K a s p i , A s s o c i a t e D i r e c t o r r A e i n t d t r o e w r T C u e m n m r in o g L an d d D ox n ea enn a n of ce L n Science Bru ei st ld Go Vi sie ce Principal Ro McGill Space Institute Launch The McGill Space Institute had its ofcial launch “Grabbing an Asteroid and Returning it to Earth: event on October 28, 2015. We had a VIP reception Making Audacious Ideas a Reality.” Approximately at the 3550 University building. Attendees included 150 people attended the public lecture. Vice Principal Rosie Goldstein and Dean of Science Bruce Lennox, as well as CSA Presi- The MSI launch received nation-wide press cov- dent Sylvain Laporte. In addition, our principal erage, including a Canadian – Grabbin donor Lorne Trottier attended the event. He was Press article, which ure g an ect A l ste presented with a high-quality print of mountains was picked up by e’s r c oi in d on the surface of Pluto from the recent New Hori- newspapers r a P n f.