2026 Spring Schedule

Abstract: Magnetars are isolated neutron stars that possess the strongest magnetic fields in the Universe. The most striking characteristic of magnetars is their emission of energetic bursts -- brief events lasting only a fraction of a second yet typically releasing energies exceeding 10^40 erg. On rare occasions, magnetars produce giant flares, which exhibit distinctive morphologies and release energy reaching or even surpassing 10^44 erg.  This talk will provide an overview of magnetar bursts detected mostly with the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on board Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, with a particular focus on a prolific magnetar: SGR J1935+2154. This magnetar has emitted short radio bursts, including the first ever Galactic fast radio burst (FRB). There will also be a review of recent observations of magnetar giant flares from nearby galaxies. 

Abstract: A Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) is a galactic-scale detector that relies on precision timing of milli-second pulsars. Recently, all major PTA collaborations have found evidence of a low-frequency gravitational wave background. The most likely origin of this background is a population of supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) formed in galaxy mergers. I will present the exciting recent results from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational waves (NANOGrav) collaboration, and their meaning for SMBHB evolution. I will also describe the next major milestone, which is likely the detection of an individual resolved binary. These systems, which should stand above the background, are also expected to be bright sources of electromagnetic emission, and can be detected as quasars with periodic variability. I will summarize the status of current electromagnetic searches, challenges in their detection and prospects for the future with the Rubin Observatory. Finally, I will discuss recent work which combines electromagnetic and gravitational-wave data and aims to deliver the first multi-messenger detection of a SMBHB.

Abstract: TBA