Vth School of Astroparticle Physics
23 - 28 May 2016
OHP, Saint Michel l'Observatoire

Physics of the Universe in X-rays

What X-rays could tell us about Gamma-ray burst and magnetar physics?

Olivier GODET
  Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)

Course
This lecture will describe the extreme properties of GRBs and magnetars from an X-ray point of view. It will explore the possible connections between both types of objects and will discuss some of the latest and most exciting results concerning these relativistic objects.
Outline
  1. A brief history of Gamma-rays bursts
  2. Properties of Gamma-ray bursts
  3. Theoretical framework
  4. Central engines
  5. Properties of magnetars
  6. Connections magnetars -- GRBs
  7. Open questions

Context

Gamma-ray bursts, the most violent cosmological explosions in the Universe appear ramdomly over the sky as brief and highly variable X-/Gamma-ray flashes. Their energy throughput is so large that they could be detected up to redshifts of 10. They are thought to be associated with the launch of ultra-relativistic jets from an accreting newly-born black hole or magnetar (i.e. a neutron star with an extreme magnetic field up to 1015 Gauss) following the merger of two compact objects or the core collapse of some massive stars.


 

Back to Program