October 2016 Extra: Descent into the Maelstrom

In the show this time, Prof. Tetsuo Hatsuda talks to us about quarks and neutron stars, Dr. Mitch Mickaliger describes his efforts to search for fast radio transients and your astronomical questions are answered by Dr Iain McDonald in Ask an Astronomer.

Jodbite with Dr. Mitch Mickaliger

Dr. Mitch Mickaliger is a postdoctoral researcher and SKA engineer working with the pulsar group at JBCA. As part of his job he is involved with designing software which will be used to search for (and hopefully find) up to 25,000 new pulsars when the SKA is completed. In the meantime he is heavily involved with analysing data taken by the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory, and so is intimately familiar with the difficulties and pitfalls connected to searching for weak astronomical signals in an ever-expanding sea of radio frequency interference (RFI) from modern appliances from mobile phones to microwaves. He discusses how vigilant radio astronomers must be in order to keep their data as free from RFI as possible, with a few amusing examples! He also gives us a brief run-down on Fast Radio Burst astronomy, and mentions some of the challenges involved with building the world's largest radio telescope: the SKA.

Interview with Prof. Tetsuo Hatsuda

Prof. Tetsuo Hatsuda from the RIKEN Nishina Centre for Accelerator-Based Science, Japan, talks to Max Potter and new Jodcaster Luke Hart about the exciting and exotic physics happening inside neutron stars. We talk about the structure of neutron stars and the mysteries of their internal physics. The problem of quark confinement is discussed and how efforts to understand it are pushing the boundaries of mathematics, computing and experimental physics. Hyperons, exotic forms of matter involving high energy quarks, and the problems they pose to the understanding of neutron stars are touched upon. We finish off by discussing the interdisciplinary collaboration going on at RIKEN, with Prof. Hatsuda detailing his recent work on a longstanding problem in biology.

Ask an Astronomer

Dr Iain McDonald answers your astronomical questions: Metals in stars, the problem with information and Life on Mars

• YODATHEOAK asks about the production of metals in stars,
• Phillip Le Riche wants to know why cosmologists care about conservation of information
• Paul Stevenson asks, "Should we revisit the results from Mars' Viking Lander?"

Odds and Ends

• Ben, George, Adam, and Charlie were interviewed for startup student Radio Show RockItScience on student radio station FuseFM about the Jodcast! It will already have been broadcast (21/10/16, 1:30pm) by the time this episode goes out, but they hope to have a backlog of podcasts online, so you may be able to listen to us there. You can follow them on twitter: @ROCK_ItScience

• ExoMars mission is a joint ESA and Roscosmos mission to search for evidence of life on Mars. ExoMars comprises two parts, the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), and the Schiaparelli Lander. Schiaparelli's main goal is to test new technology for landing on Mars. TGO's main science driver is to search for evidence for biological activity through the analysis of trace gases. As of recording (October 20), the TGO was successfully placed in orbit, but Schiaparelli's signal had been lost just prior to its planned landing on the Martian Surface.

• Astronomical Halloween costumes - Whilst looking for inspiration for this year's costume, Max stumbled across NASA's annual Halloween costume competition. You can see people have put some effort in, but we're sure there must be some truly stellar outfits out there. We discuss our own ideas in the show but we'd love to see what you come with so send them our way via social media, email or post!

Show Credits