Speaker: Professor Dieter Hartmann, Clemson University, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Topic: “Cosmology from a High Energy Perspective”
Time: 6:30 pm, Monday, April 28, 2014
Place: Hepner Hall, Room 130, Free Campus Parking in Parking Structure 1, levels 1&2
Abstract:
High-energy photons (X-rays to gamma-rays) are produced throughout the Universe in often highly dynamic and thus strongly variable astrophysical circumstances (e.g., exploding stars and accretion onto compact objects). Ground- and space based High-Energy astronomy has undergone dramatic development in recent decades, revealing luminous transient sources in the nearby Milky Way and throughout the cosmos. In particular, spectacular Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), discovered in the late sixties, herald formation of new black holes that allows us to trace the cosmic star formation history back to the first generation of stars. Their optical afterglows also provide beacons of light for spectroscopic studies of cosmic chemical evolution. In this talk we explore time domain astronomy of the high-energy sky and discuss how this part of the electromagnetic spectrum informs us about processes that take place in exotic places. Connections to other, more traditional parts of astronomy will also be drawn, and an outlook on the road ahead will be discussed.