A detailed X-ray map of the galactic plane
New telescopes, space-based instruments, and computational power have given astronomers ever better eyes on the sky, driving the field forward into a true “multimessenger” age when a fuller, ever more detailed picture of the universe can be painted. Chryssa Kouveliotou’s team is now engaged in mapping our galactic plane in X rays, a task that could be approached only in very limited ways until now. The new map will complement the mappings of the galactic plane that have been done in all other wavelengths and measure the X-ray thickness of the Milky Way. This work has already led to identification of transient objects and X ray-emitting binary stars. Kouveliotou, who made her mark during a career at NASA with discoveries of gamma-ray bursters, will provide an update on the mapping project and describe how our understanding of many of these objects, and therefore the evolution of stars, continues to change.
Social media hashtag: #XrayGalaxy
- Time:
- Monday, October 15th, 8:30 am to 9:30 amAdd to Calendar
- Location:
- Jack Morton Auditorium
- Speaker(s):
- Chryssa KouveliotouProfessor of astrophysics, George Washington University and director, Astronomy, Physics, and Statistics Institute of Sciences (APSIS), George Washington University
