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Caltech

Astronomy Colloquium

Wednesday, May 29, 2019
4:00pm to 5:00pm
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Cahill, Hameetman Auditorium
Simulations of Electromagnetic Counterparts to Gravitational Wave Sources
Andrew MacFadyen, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, New York University,

I will present recent numerical simulations of the dynamics and observational signatures of gas flows from gravitational wave sources. I will show that cosmological short GRBs share the same outflow structure with binary neutron star merger GW170817 in the afterglow stage: an ultra-relativistic structured jet, and that the exceptional properties of the GW170817 afterglow can be explained by the difference in observation angle alone. I will then show that the light curves of the GW170817 afterglow, if viewed on-axis, are consistent with those of cosmological short GRBs. As time allows, I will also discuss recent results from simulations of binary black hole accretion.

For more information, please contact Judy McClain by phone at 626-395-4970 or by email at [email protected].