Ithaca College

Physics Department Seminar Series - Fall 2011

Please join us for a talk entitled: The Gamma-Ray Pulsar Menagerie

with Mallory S.E. Roberts of Ithaca College Physics and Eureka Scientific

Pulsars, the leftover cores of massive stars that have gone supernova, are Nature's extreme laboratories. They have the highest mass densities and the strongest magnetic fields to be found anywhere in the universe. They are precision clocks which can probe the strong gravitational field limits of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. They are Nature's particle accelerators, producing electrons and positrons with energies of up to tens of TeV. These particles generate beams of radio, optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray light as they leave the vicinity of the pulsar, and then strongly shock any matter surrounding the pulsar. These shocks can produce strangely shaped nebulae which emit at every observable wavelength. I will tell the story of pulsars by looking at several interesting pulsars I have helped discover while examining sources of GeV gamma-rays in our Galaxy. A story which involves destruction, violence, cannibalism and rebirth, with clues as to the fundamental nature of our Universe. Note, if you fear poisonous spiders or bunnies, there will be pictures of both.

Tuesday, December 13th at 12:10 pm in CNS 204

Pizza and Refreshments will be available for $1. Please bring your own cup. Remember to Recycle, Reuse, Reduce.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Physics Department at jackerman@ithaca.edu. We ask  that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.