Theoretical astrophysicist. Columbia University and the Flatiron Institute CCA. lover of all "things that go bump in the night". hopeless Cubs fan.
Manhattan, NY
Joined August 2017
- Tweets866
- Following583
- Followers1.2K
- Likes38.8K
Pinned Tweet
Richard O'Shaughnessy doing the BBH merger interpretative dance (with an assist from @Dr_CMingarelli)
Brian Metzger retweeted
Have scientists just seen their first "superkilonova"?@Columbia Professor Brian Metzger (@bluekilonova) helped other astronomers interpret their observations of the unexpected stellar event.
news.columbia.edu/news/resea…
our recent paper on evidence for a new site of heavy element creation. @anirudhpatel_ @chargedcurrent @FlatironInst @PhysicsColumbia
Magnetars, which have been around since before the solar system was created, could have been an early source of precious metals — like gold — on our planet, according to a study published in the Astrophysical Journal. wapo.st/3GGMkrW
Brian Metzger retweeted
With @bluekilonova and others, we discovered a new site of heavy element (r-process) nucleosynthesis! Main points nicely summarized below.
Gold, uranium and other heavy metals are only made in extreme cosmic environments. Now, #FlatironCCA astronomers have uncovered a new place where these elements are born — the giant flares of supermagnetized stars. simonsfoundation.org/2025/04… #science #astronomy
simonsfoundation.org/2025/04…
Direct evidence magnetar giant flares eject neutron star crust material capable of heavy element nucleosynthesis and associated kilonova-like signals . As the gamma-ray signal came from the 2004 giant flare, in some since this was the "first" kilonova.
Brian Metzger retweeted
#FlatironCCA is hosting a Summer School on the Landscape of Astronomical Transients! This is a unique opportunity for PhD students to learn the physics of astronomical transients, while gaining hands-on experience in dealing with time-domain data from synoptic surveys. Learn more: simonsfoundation.org/event/c… #science #astrophysics
Brian Metzger retweeted
Congratulations to Assistant Prof. Raquel Queiroz on winning the 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship! The Sloan Fellowship is one of the most distinguished honors to be awarded to early-career scholars who exemplify the innovation of elite emerging scientists. Congratulations Raquel!
Brian Metzger retweeted
this is a lie. the max throughput on the Tesla Tunnel is ~4,000 passengers/hr, and in reality probably is closer to 2,000
meanwhile the Lexington Avenue line of the NYC Subway can hit over 100k passengers/hr
cars are simply an inefficient way to move many people
Brian Metzger retweeted
Calling all astrophysicists interested in stars!✨Take our quick (<5 min) survey to share your experience with #MESA and help shape its future🚀 Not a MESA user? We'd love to hear about other stellar evolution codes too. Your insights are invaluable!
🔗forms.gle/8x88YCpmBo2qx4V47
arxiv.org/abs/2501.09181 In work led by Ani Patel we found evidence, in an old unexplained gamma-ray signal, that the famous giant magnetar flare 20 years ago synthesized ~1e-6 Msun in r-process elements. With @chargedcurrent we've finally confirmed magnetars can "r-process".
Magnetars as a new r-process sources has several implications. Based on the giant flare rate and the mass yield of this event, we estimate they contribute ~1-10% of the total Galactic r-abundances, and provide a confirmed site that (unlike mergers) promptly tracks star-formation.
Brian Metzger retweeted
New work led by Amy Secunda and Yan-Fei Jiang @FlatironCCA, using multi-frequency radiation MHD simulations to test the physical basis of reverberation mapping in Active Galactic Nuclei. TLDR yes it should work, pretty well, but not in every circumstance.
arxiv.org/abs/2501.06304
Brian Metzger retweeted
I've written a new (*fairly* brief!) review of planet formation, intended to introduce the theory section of a new edition of the Handbook of Exoplanets, and as a "read this first" review for students. Topics covered include (1) Protoplanetary disks (1/5)
arxiv.org/abs/2412.11064
Brian Metzger retweeted
We are hiring postdocs and PhD students! We have openings for two postdocs (up to 5 yrs) to develop new methods for computer simulations of fluid dynamics in binary systems. Deadline is Jan 26 2025. For more details and application instructions see cuni.cz/UKEN-1573.html?&prac…
