PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM.

In this science outreach series, scientists present different scientific topics to the general public in a laid-back atmosphere in an art gallery.

The December 2025 event:
Exploring Astronomical X-Ray Bursts: How Stars Ignite in Binary Systems
Presented by Dr. Melina L. Avila Coronado
Argonne National Laboratory

Short introduction to Chicago DIY art spaces by Prof. Philip Spangler
Governors State University
The Plan Gallery

Jewelry sale by Jsttosh Studios.

Presentation abstract and presenter bios are below.

PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM.

Exciting science, art and socializing.
Donation bar.
Vegan snacks.

Events are always free and open to all, so feel free to invite others.
Hope to see you there!

Parlour & Ramp Gallery is at 2130 W. 21st St.
Easily accessible by the pink line (Damen stop) and the Damen Ave. (#50) bus. Some street parking available.
https://parlourandramp.com/

Facebook event page,
https://www.facebook.com/events/1773433473174305/.

You are invited to join the Art of Science Facebook group,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/308458645920283/.

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Exploring Astronomical X-Ray Bursts: How Stars Ignite in Binary Systems

X-ray bursts are the most frequent stellar explosions in our Galaxy, occurring when a sudden nuclear flash ignites on the surface of a neutron star in a binary system. These explosions give us a unique window into the nuclear processes that drive them, as they reshape the neutron star’s outer layers and influence the burst’s observable light.

In this talk, Dr. Avila Coronado will explore how X-ray bursts happen, the nuclear reactions that power them, and how laboratory experiments help us understand these cosmic events.

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Melina L. Avila Coronado
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Melina Avila Coronado is a physicist and experimentalist in the Low Energy group in Argonne National Laboratory’s Physics division. Her research centers on studying nuclear reactions to better understand the abundance of elements observed in nature and how they are formed in different stellar processes.

She received a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico and her doctorate in physics from Florida State University in the U.S.A. She joined Argonne in 2014 as a postdoctoral appointee and became a staff physicist in 2016.

Philip Spangler
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Philip Spangler is an artist, curator, and professor based out of Humboldt Park, here in Chicago. Born in Ohio, Philip received his M.F.A. in studio art (sculpture) from The Ohio State University (2014), and his B.F.A. in studio art (sculpture) from the University of Cincinnati (2008).

He has been involved in several community-based DIY art galleries, punk venues, and project spaces. He is the founding director of The Plan, a project space here in Chicago (2022-present).

Philip is a recent full-time hire at Governors State University, where he heads up the Sculpture Department. He has exhibited his work at Gallery 360 (Malé, Maldives), Cleaner Gallery + Projects (Chicago), Beverly Arts Center (Chicago), 3D4D (Chicago), “The Midwestern Biennial” at Rockford Art Museum (Rockford, IL), The Weston Art Gallery (Cincinnati, OH), and Re Institute (Millerton, NY), among others.

The Plan:
The Plan is a project space that is committed to equity, the exchange of ideas among disparate groups of people, and to the exhibition of artwork that is not easily commodified. We believe that art in three dimensions, performance, and two dimensions—all artwork—must be inclusive, responsive, and engaging. By leaning on a diverse and ever-expanding roster of guest-curators, The Plan fosters an anything-goes environment that encourages artists to follow curiosity and exercise risk-taking creative strategies.

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Image credit: NASA/CXC/M. WEISS

Official Website

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Tags: Art of Science: Exploring X-Ray Bursts: How Stars Ignite in Binary Systems, Chicago, Dr. Melina L. Avila Coronado, Lower West Side, Parlour and Ramp, Philip Spangler, science