Stars, Stardust, and Arctic Adventure presented by Scott Nutter, Dept. of Physics and Geology at NKU

Part of the Six@Six Lecture Series by NKU Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement

How is it that an astroparticle physicist from NKU found himself in Ellesmere Island, the northernmost island of Canada –home of far more musk ox and polar bears than people – to oversee retrieval of a three-ton scientific instrument via helicopter, clutching the data disk in his hands? It is part of ongoing efforts to learn about the galactic matter cycle, which is the source of heavy elements in the universe. Elements heavier than hydrogen are created in massive stars of the galaxy and are spread into interstellar space when the star goes supernova. Eons later, the gas and dust can gather back together to form new stars, enriched in heavier elements, and the process starts again. We are made of this stardust, as the song says, and understanding this cycle is important to understanding how newly minted solar systems compare in composition to ours. Piecing together the details of this process requires information from multiple sources. 

Scott Nutter, Dept. of Physics and Geology

Dr. Nutter received a B.S. from University of Georgia, and the M.S. and Ph.D. from Indiana University. Dr. Nutter’s area of research is astrophysics.