Fast Radio Bursts: Observational Constraints and the Magnetar Model

by Dr Ben Margalit (UC Berkeley)

Tuesday 8 Jan 2019, 15:30 → 16:50 Asia/Shanghai

TDLI Meeting Room 202

Abstract

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are recently discovered class of bright, millisecond, extra-Galactic radio pulses whose origins remain illusive. I will present the current state of this rapidly evolving field. Focusing on the well characterized FRB 121102, I will argue that any successful FRB model must now explain a diverse phenomenology, and thus faces severe observational constraints. I will then describe the `concordance magnetar model’ as a first quantitative theory attempting to unify this picture, and will discuss the model implications and testable predictions.

Biography

Ben Margalit received his Ph.D. from Columbia University, and is now an Einstein postdoc fellow at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on high energy astrophysics, particularly transients and gravitational wave sources.  He is visiting TDLI on Jan. 8-10

Homepage of the Speaker

http://benmargalit.com/

Division

Astronomy and Astrophysics