The Post-y Dancing Astrophysicist

19 months... is that a rush, or too far away?

What's funny is that, as one of the laity, reading you talking about what you're studying and working on is like listening to Harry, Ron, and Hermione discuss their class schedules.

What, briefly, is gravity-darkening?

19 months currently does not feel like a rush. It feels a good time for this to happen. We'll see what I say a few months or a year from now :) I have much to do. But I like timelines it seems - I feel happy having this mapped out a little.

:) You're one of the laity :) I like that. To make sure I understand your analogy, my stuff sounds just fascinating but also not what you are accustomed to? And probably will never get the chance to take?

Gravity darkening - my stars spin very, very fast - so fast that the equator bulges out and the star becomes an oblate spheroid. This also means that the "surface" gravity at the equator is less than at the poles of the star. Now, since the equator is bulging out, it is also farther from the center of the star which is where the energy is generated (via fusion). Since the equator is farther away, it doesn't get as much energy and therefore is cooler than the poles of the star. Since the equator is cooler, it does not emit as much light and therefore looks darker than the poles. This is gravity darkening.
Questions? :)

Excellent, now I understand gravity darkening. That's a funny name for it, since it's actually the velocity of the rotation that causes the bulge, the momentum of the equatorial mass, and the bulge's consequent distance from the core. The lessened gravity around the bulge sounds only like an incidental to the story, as if you were to say, "Also, we detected a strain of thermobacteria that can sometimes survive in the equator of these stars, if the star is large enough and, subsequently, the equator is cold enough, and so that's why it's called bacterial darkening. Also, many of these thermobacteria are unrecalcitrant drinkers, which is why it's called gin-blossom darkening." Well, that's my unenlightened impression, anyway, I certainly didn't go to school for this.

As for my analogy, it's even more than that: what you're taking sounds so advanced and complex as to approach fantasy. I get the general sense of how deep your studies run, and that's one thing I loved about the Harry Potter books: they didn't just take Potions or Spells, they took subcategories and subsubcategories in following years, it lent it an air of nigh-credibility.

Also, I'm kicking much ass at ATV Quad Power Racing 2. I can do tricks like a mad bastard; pulvillis can combine a left bicycle, wheelie, right bicycle, and stoppie for over 40,000 points at a shot. Not only have I finally hit the cage, but I've raced and leapt off the upper level of ramps, as well as unlocked a number of ATVs and raceways. When are you coming up here again?

I'm glad you found my explanation adequate. And I agree, gravity darkening is really a very odd name for it - I like your comparison muchly :) I agree with it too :)

Rowling is totally awesome that way - her world is quite beleivable.
And my subject is quite fantastic :) I luvs it :)

You just totally want to kick my heiney at that game don't you? I'm not sure when the next trip back is, but you'll be one of the people on my list to tell :) Now the question is: pulvillis can do it, but can you???

I think that's when both ellyn and I are scheduled to end our purgatory....I mean PhD's as well :)

and I think Jay is on that track as well.

its a little daunting, but exciting as well. Just think about this as well....if you are ending then, you have a good reason to go present your findings at the summer AAS meeting in Hawaii in 2007, yes? ;)

:) I'd love to go to Hawaii, but I fear that since I'll be going to the Seattle meeting, Hawaii may be out of the picture... Le sigh.

Yay for a graduation timeline!

So, I was talking to Mike and Mike's buddy Steve earlier today. They asked when I was planning to graduate, I told them December 2006, they said that it would be really, really hard to find a job then because the usual start time for astronomy jobs is the Fall. Sooo, you may be stuck with your officemate till Spring 2007. yeesh.

I'm thrilled about the timeline :) I like the structure (as many of we scientists do).

I wouldn't give up yet Miss noangelshere :) Are you making any contacts besides Mike'sBuddySteveKramer? He's a hoot :) Tell him 'Hi' for me!!

Having worked (just a bit, but more to come in the summer) with Doug, and noting his homeworks, I'm sure you'll be slaving away like crazy. Perhaps doable, but may loosen some wires in the neural network to get it done that fast. Happy Hunting!!

I really hate this thing how my computer has stopped recognizing my ID automatically...that was me above...Stoopid steve, who feels ever further away from his Ph.D. at this particular moment in time...

I'm wondering if your computer stopped recognizing after the big move that LJ did - I had to re-cookie myself after that...

The timeline does worry me a little, but honestly, a bunch of it is done, I have all my data and it will just depend on me getting it all situated. Once I've done all the reducing and rectification and stacking and stuff, it should be a piece of cake ;) Well, analysis isn't always a piece of cake, but I think it will be just fine. In a way, it's kinda nice to know that it's only me holding me back as I already know how to do what I need to do. I remember Ginny had to learn a bunch of new stuff. And the homeworks were all new things. I'm hopeful :)

I either read too much, or have watched Discovery and the History channel too much in the past becasue I was not completely lost with your list above. That kinda wigs me a bit.

Good luck on getting everything done for your doctorate. I'm sure you'll do fine getting everything done on time, although if it took a bit longer I doubt that would be a terrible thing. I can certainly understand how the desire to be finished though may weight on you.

I have this weird tendency to forget just how far along in your education you are. It's going to be odd when I have to start refering to you as Dr. Danceinastrophys...or some permutation of that.

I think that it just shows your blazing intelligence :) And the "gift" astronomers have for naming things (VLA being a case in point).

Taking a little longer will probably not be the best thing. Most jobs in astronomy start in the Fall (like September) so a December graduation time would be unfortunate. May isn't so bad as you can generally hang out at your now-former-institution and just write papers relating to the dissertation. Also, one of the other grad students that is working with my same advisor will most likely be graduating the next year and we might very well compete for jobs and AdvisorDoug really doesn't want that to happen.
So my real goal is to get as much stuff done as I can as if for a May graduation date and then know I can take a little longer :)

I forget how far along I am too :) It took me long enough to respond to students in my lecture calling me "Miss G" I wonder how long it will take for me to get used to "Dr. G" :)

But how do you respond to students who mistakenly call you "Professor" G? Do you (guiltily) not correct them?
-Savage

OMG - Savage!!! I'll have to e-mail you!

To answer the question (if you ever read it again):
I DO correct them (gently though). It's especially funny in lab - we're called by our first names generally in that arena :)