Insights from the 4th Floor - our latest results

In this talk, I will present two projects which our group is leading, which aim at solving two questions at the interface between Big data science and astrophysics.

(1) An important question in X-ray science: How do we detect elusive signals when we have 60 years of observations but hardly any photons? Using innovative search algorithms, I will show how we mine decades of archival X-ray data from space telescopes to uncover hidden transients buried in the background noise. These signals may reveal precious information about the very first moments of stellar death, as well as the physical mechanisms governing stellar flares.

(2) How can a transient’s environment inform us about the nature of the transient itself? Using large new datasets from the DESI telescope, I will show how we can explore the connections between supernova explosions and their environments in order to gain new insights into the still poorly understood nature of exploding stars.