May 2016 Extra: The Ocean Machine Is Set To 9

In the show this time, Dr Sambit Roychowdhury talks to us about dwarf galaxies, Professor Phillipa Browning talks to us the Sun in this month's Jodbite, and your astronomical questions are answered by Professor Tim O' Brien in Ask an Astronomer.

Listener Survey 2016

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JodBite with Professor Phillipa Browning

Professor Philippa Browning talks to Max Potter about her work in solar physics. We discuss the solar coronal heating problem, which competing theories exist and how they measure up. Philippa is also interested in nuclear fusion, so ITER (the upcoming international experimental reactor) and the future of fusion are discussed. Finally, we move on to Philippa's recent work consulting for a very inventive dance-based outreach scheme!

Interview with Dr Sambit Roychowdhury

At the time of the interview, Dr Sambit Roychowdhury worked at the Max Plank Institute in Garching, Germany. He has since moved to Manchester, and now works at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. Sambit is interested in dwarf galaxies, which are small galaxies that often closely orbit larger galaxies like our Milky Way. Whilst these objects are small, they play a vital role in forming larger structures. Sambit discusses the challenges in both observing and modelling dwarf galaxies.

Ask an Astronomer

Professor Tim O' Brien returns to the Jodcast to answer your astronomical questions:

• Christoph asks, "What single space mission would you launch in the next ten years if money was no constraint?"
• Russ asks about the perception of gravity on the International Space Station.
• @Malcontent (via Twitter) wants to know if the missing mass in the Universe could be hiding in black holes.

Odds and Ends

• Two scientists have simulated the evolving Sun using updated models of stellar mass loss. The results in Schroder and Smith (2016), suggest that when the Sun leaves the main sequence due to fuel depletion in its core, the resulting expansion due to the Sun entering the Red Giant branch (RGB) will engulf the Earth. But it's not like we could have stayed here anyway. As the Sun moves outwards the habitable zone will move outwards as well. In fact while the Sun is on the RGB, temperatures in the Kuiper Belt will be sufficient to allow water to exist as a liquid. But there's no need to start packing for Eris yet. The Sun is gradually getting hotter on the main sequence anyway so we'll have to find an intermediary home well before that happens!
• Preliminary results have been returned from the EU's Sentinel 3a satellite, which has been measuring ocean levels across the globe. Sentinel 3a was launched in February and is part of the EU's Copernicus programme which aims (with the help of ESA) to monitor planet Earth and collect data which will help scientists to better understand the effects of climate change. Read more here.

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