Physics Program Presents
A Tale of Two Neutron Stars: From Gamma-ray Bursts to Gravitational Waves
Friday, March 15, 2019
Hegeman 107
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Jonathan Zrake, Columbia University
Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the universe. We know today that many come from the violent deaths of massive stars, and others from the collision of two neutron stars. However, just five decades ago their origins were a confounding mystery. I will present an overview of how gamma-ray bursts, which began as a government secret, have evolved into one of our most valuable tools for studying the cosmos. This story is still unfolding, having in the past two years coalesced with another—that of the first detections of gravitational waves, made possible by the LIGO and Virgo facilities. These discoveries have initiated a shift to “multimessenger astronomy,” which means that astronomers are beginning to observe cosmic events like gamma-ray bursts with telescopes, while at the same time “listening” to their space-time vibrations.For more information, call 845-758-7302, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Location: Hegeman 107