Colloq Abstract - Kerr
September 21, 2018
11:00am Mountain
Matthew Kerr(NRL)
Finding Fast Bursts: New Radio and Gamma-ray Telescopes
Abstract
The detection of a short gamma-ray burst accompanying gravitational waves from a neutron star merger electrified the astronomical world. Data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) data were key in analyzing the jet physics and gamma rays will play a leading role in future multimessenger detections. Likewise, fast radio bursts (FRBs) promise a powerful probe of the universe at cosmological distances. Widefield telescopes have detected tens of them from 0.4--1.5 GHz, and their spectra and pulse shapes vary wildly. But only one has been pinpointed to a host galaxy, so their progenitors remains a mystery, and without redshifts they cannot be used for cosmological study. I will present two new telescopes intended to push forward on both fronts. First, I will discuss two new mission concepts for low-cost, rapidly-deployable gamma-ray transient monitors that will complement and improve upon the reach of the Fermi GBM, and I will present a status update on instrument development. Next, I will discuss VLITE, a commensal instrument recording data at 350 MHz whenever the VLA is in operation, and specifically VLITE Fast, a dedicated high-time-resolution transient monitor capable of triggering and recording voltages for identification of FRB host galaxies.
