[Astronomy seminar] Astronomy departmental seminar Friday December 8 at 10:30am - Quentin Perceval Xavier Pognan (Stockholm University)

[Astronomy seminar announcements]

Dear all,


The next SU astronomy departmental seminar (last of 2023) will take place on Friday December 8 at 10:30am in room FC61 (AlbaNova building, 6th floor) and on zoom (https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/s/61002076352).

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Speaker: Quentin Perceval Xavier Pognan (Stockholm University)

Title: Modelling Kilonova Spectra with NLTE Physics

Event: https://indico.fysik.su.se/e/quentin-pognan


Abstract:

The rapid neutron capture (r-process) has long been theorised to produce approximately half of the elements heavier than iron in the Universe. A promising site of r-process nucleosynthesis is believed to be neutron star (NS) mergers. In 2017, the first ever binary NS merger was observed thoroughly in gravitational wave emission, as well as in a broad-band electromagnetic (EM) follow up. This EM follow up observed the famous kilonova (KN) AT2017gfo, powered by the radioactive decay of unstable r-process isotopes created in the merger ejecta. Since these transients are powered by r-process species, it follows that the analysis of features in KN emission can lead to the identification of elements produced in NS mergers, and place constraints on their origins in the Universe.


A promising approach to do so is by spectral analysis of the emergent KN spectra. However, this requires detailed spectral models which can explain the diverse, complex features in the observed emission. In particular, due to the rapid expansion of merger ejecta moving at velocities of ~ 0.1 - 0.3c, the KN quickly moves away from the photospheric phase, where Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) physics apply, into the non-LTE regime. In this regime, the gas state of the ejecta cannot be determined using the Saha-Boltzmann equations, and must instead be found by solving rate equations coupling diverse non-thermal processes, which greatly increases the complexity of the problem. In this talk, I will go over the spectral modelling of KNe in the NLTE regime, firstly introducing the context and difficulties of this approach, and then focussing on recent works and results making use of NLTE radiative transfer codes to this end.

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We look forward to seeing many of you there. Thanks!


Adur and Adélaïde


Upcoming Events:


--- Winter break ---


You can subscribe to the seminars calendar in: https://ttt.astro.su.se/ical/astro-seminars.ics

(Please note that calendar can be subject to updates)

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Join Zoom Meeting:

https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/s/61002076352

Meeting ID: 610 0207 6352
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