Frontiers in Science public lecture series continues
A few times a day a special type of massive star transforms itself into a black hole, simultaneously collapsing and ejecting material in a jet that moves very close to the speed of light. During their fleeting existence, these jets flood much of the universe with an enormous burst of gamma rays. Their power output can be a significant fraction of the power produced by all the stars in all the galaxies in the universe.
This evening, Laboratory Fellow and reknowned gamma-ray-burst researcher Ed Fenimore will delve into the mysteries of gamma-ray bursts in a talk at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Road N.W., in Albuquerque.
“Gamma-Ray Bursts: One Reason Why ‘Astronomical’ is an Adjective,” is part of the Laboratory’s “Frontiers in Science” public lecture series. Fenimore’s talk begins at 7:30 p.m.
Gamma-ray bursts were discovered at Los Alamos more than 30 years ago as a result of the Laboratory's early satellite-based nuclear nonproliferation efforts. Thanks to data from the Vela satellites, progenitors of today’s constellations of treaty-monitoring hardware on duty in orbit, the bursts were recognized as a new type of transient event in the universe. New to humans, otherwise blind to the tremendous events unfolding at a distance, but as ancient as the universe itself.
Recently, robotic telescopes on the ground and satellites that autonomously steer themselves have started to unravel the mysteries behind these largest explosions since the big bang. At the talk Fenimore, of Space Science and Applications (ISR-1), will summarize advances from the recently launched Swift satellite, including a gamma-ray burst so huge that it affected the Earth's atmosphere.
The Frontiers in Science lecture series is intended to inform neighboring communities about the broad range of scientific and engineering research being conducted at the Laboratory. Sponsored by the Laboratory Fellows and presented by Laboratory scientists, the lectures are presented in Los Alamos and other nearby communities to ensure that Northern New Mexico residents can attend. All lectures are free.
For more information, contact S. Peter Gary of ISR-1 at 7-3807 or pgary@lanl.gov by electronic mail, or check the Fellows Web site at http://www.lanl.gov/science/fellows/lectures.shtml online.
