Fotis P Gavriil

Astrophysics Science Division
NASA/GSFC
Code 662, X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory
Greenbelt, MD 20771

tel: 301-286-6779
fax: 301-286-1684
e-mail: Fotis.Gavriil @ nasa.gov

Present Position

National Research Council Research Associate

Brief Bio

Fotis recently defended his PhD thesis at McGill university. At McGill Fotis worked in the pulsar group headed by Prof. Victoria Kaspi. Fotis was in charge of a project which used the Rossi X-ray timing Explorer to monitor all known Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs). AXPs are X-ray pulsars whose power source was a mystery. It was proposed that AXPs are magnetars, i.e. pulsars that are powered by the decay of the enormous magnetic fields. The work which made up Fotis' thesis has provided a great deal of observational evidence supporting the hypothesis that AXPs are magnetars. Fotis now holds an NRC research associateship award at NASA Goddard Space flight center. He is currently trying to make the transition from young, highly magnetized, slowly rotating neutrons stars (magnetars) too older, weakly magnetized, but rapidly rotating neutron stars (Low mass X-ray binaries).

Educational Background

Ph.D. Physics, McGill University, 2006, "Magnetar-like X-ray Bursts from Anomalous X-ray Pulsars"
M.Sc. Physics, McGill University, 2002
B.Sc. Physics, McGill University, 2000

Research Interests

X-ray timing of neutron stars using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer.

Current Projects

Searching for pulsations during the bursting and persistent emission of low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs).

Long Term monitoring of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs).

Selected Publications

Livingstone, Margaret A., Kaspi, Victoria M., & Gavriil, Fotis P., 2005, Long-Term Phase-coherent X-Ray Timing of PSR B0540-69, Astrophysical Journal, 633, 1095

Dhillon, V. S., Marsh, T. R., Hulleman, F., van Kerkwijk, M. H., Shearer, A., Littlefair, S. P., Gavriil, F. P., & Kaspi, V. M., 2005, High-speed, multicolour optical photometry of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61 with ULTRACAM, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 363, 609

Woods, Peter M., Kouveliotou, Chryssa, Gavriil, Fotis P., Kaspi, Victoria M., Roberts, Mallory S. E., Ibrahim, Alaa, Markwardt, Craig B., Swank, Jean H., & Finger, Mark H., 2005, X-Ray Bursts from the Transient Magnetar Candidate XTE J1810-197, Astrophysical Journal, 629, 985

Livingstone, Margaret A., Kaspi, Victoria M., Gavriil, Fotis P., & Manchester, Richard N., 2005, 21 Years of Timing PSR B1509-58, Astrophysical Journal, 619, 1046

Gavriil, Fotis P. & Kaspi, Victoria M., 2004, Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 1E 1048.1-5937: Pulsed Flux Flares and Large Torque Variations, Astrophysical Journal, 609, L67

Gavriil, Fotis P., Kaspi, Victoria M., & Woods, Peter M., 2004, A Comprehensive Study of the X-Ray Bursts from the Magnetar Candidate 1E 2259+586, Astrophysical Journal, 607, 959

Woods, P. M., Kaspi, V. M., Thompson, C., Gavriil, F. P., Marshall, H. L., Chakrabarty, D., Flanagan, K., Heyl, J., & Hernquist, L., 2004, Changes in the X-Ray Emission from the Magnetar Candidate 1E 2259+586 during Its 2002 Outburst, Astrophysical Journal, 605, 378

Kaspi, V. M. & Gavriil, F. P., 2003, A Second Glitch from the ``Anomalous'' X-Ray Pulsar 1RXS J170849.0-4000910, Astrophysical Journal, 596, L71

Kaspi, V. M., Gavriil, F. P., Woods, P. M., Jensen, J. B., Roberts, M. S. E., & Chakrabarty, D., 2003, A Major Soft Gamma Repeater-like Outburst and Rotation Glitch in the No-longer-so-anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 1E 2259+586, Astrophysical Journal, 588, L93

Gavriil, F. P., Kaspi, V. M., & Woods, P. M., 2002, Magnetar-like X-ray bursts from an anomalous X-ray pulsar, Nature, 419, 142

Gavriil, Fotis P. & Kaspi, Victoria M., 2002, Long-Term Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Monitoring of Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars, Astrophysical Journal, 567, 1067

Gotthelf, E. V., Gavriil, F. P., Kaspi, V. M., Vasisht, G., & Chakrabarty, D., 2002, A Phase-connected Timing Solution for the Magnetar Candidate 1E 1841-045, Astrophysical Journal, 564, L31

Kaspi, Victoria M., Gavriil, Fotis P., Chakrabarty, Deepto, Lackey, Jessica R., & Muno, Michael P., 2001, Long-Term Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Monitoring of the Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 1E 1048.1-5937, Astrophysical Journal, 558, 253

Publications at the ADS website.