Frontiers in the study Gamma-ray bursts

Seminar

QUEST Center event

No

Speaker

Asaf Pe'er, Physics Department, University College Cork (UCC), Ireland

Date

11/12/2017 - 12:30Add to Calendar 2017-12-11 12:30:00 2017-12-11 12:30:00 Frontiers in the study Gamma-ray bursts Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are the most violent explosions in the universe. While being studied extensively since the 1990's, a major event took place a few weeks ago, with the first confirmed detection of a GRB associated with the gravitational wave (GW) signal that results from the merger of binary neutron star (NS) system, namely GW/GRB170817a. In the first part of the talk I will give broad overview of our current understanding of GRB physics, followed by a description of the GW/GRB170817a event and its implications. In the second part of the talk (as time permits), I will discuss the recent development in undertsanding the origin of the prompt spectra, and in particular the role of thermal emission in it. I will discuss some novel effects and theoretical ideas relevant for the study of many astronomical objects. As a few examples, I will show how emission from the photosphere can be observed to have high degree of polarization; how it can be used to infer the jet magnetization; and more. בנין פיסיקה 202 חדר 301 Department of Physics physics.dept@mail.biu.ac.il Asia/Jerusalem public

Place

בנין פיסיקה 202 חדר 301

Abstract

Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are the most violent explosions in the

universe. While being studied extensively since the 1990's, a major

event took place a few weeks ago, with the first confirmed detection

of a GRB associated with the gravitational wave (GW) signal that

results from the merger of binary neutron star (NS) system, namely

GW/GRB170817a.

In the first part of the talk I will give broad overview of our

current understanding of GRB physics, followed by a description of the

GW/GRB170817a event and its implications.

In the second part of the talk (as time permits), I will discuss the

recent development in undertsanding the origin of the prompt spectra,

and in particular the role of thermal emission in it. I will discuss

some novel effects and theoretical ideas relevant for the study of

many astronomical objects. As a few examples, I will show how emission

from the photosphere can be observed to have high degree of

polarization; how it can be used to infer the jet magnetization; and

more.