Physics Colloquium: Transformational astrophysics from more than a decade of observations by...

Thursday, February 18, 2021

3:30 PM-4:30 PM

Elizabeth Hays , PhD, NASA
Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
Chief, Astroparticle Physics Laboratory,
Project Scientist for the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

Transformational astrophysics from more than a decade of observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

In Fermi’s first 12 years, the mission has changed our understanding of the physical processes going on in extreme objects throughout the Universe. The Fermi instruments view the entire sky multiple times a day and cover orders of magnitude in energy. The observations deepen over time while also capturing changes in the sky as they occur. Since launch, Fermi has discovered thousands of new sites of gamma-ray emission. These include stellar explosions, the afterglows of past explosions, emission from supermassive black holes, and the discovery of vast, glowing regions of the Milky Way. Gamma-ray emission gives us a unique picture of dramatic astrophysical transformations that has, in turn, transformed our knowledge of astrophysics. I’ll share several highlights of the gamma-ray sky and talk about opportunities for the future.

Contact Information

Professor Naoko Neilson
nn344@drexel.edu