Astronomy Seminar
| Date/Time: | Friday, 30 Oct 2015 at 4:10 pm |
|---|---|
| Location: | 3 Physics |
| Contact: | Steve Kawaler, Physics and Astronomy |
| Phone: | 515-294-5440 |
| Channel: | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences |
| Categories: | Lectures |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
Very high energy (VHE >100 GeV) gamma rays coming from blazars can produce pairs when interacting with the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) and the Cosmic Microwave Background, generating an electromagnetic cascade. Depending on the Intergalactic Magnetic Field (IGMF) intensity, this cascade may result in an extended isotropic emission of photons around the source (halo), or in a broadening of the emission beam. The detection of these effects might
lead to important constrains both on the IGMF intensity and the EBL density, quantities of great relevance in cosmological models.
My work involves developing tools and methods to try to detect extended emission within the gamma radiation coming from distant blazars, and also using simulations to test how the next generation of instruments could improve our chances of detecting these effects in the near future.