Seminars and Colloquia

Understanding Fast X-ray Transients in the Era of Einstein ProbeAstrophysics Seminar

by Deepak Eappachen (Indian Institute of Astrophysics)

Asia/Kolkata
Auditorium

Auditorium

Description

Abstract

Fast X-ray Transients (FXTs) manifest as short singular flashes of X-ray bursts, with durations ranging from minutes to hours. Despite their first discovery over a decade ago, their origin remains a mystery. The newly launched X-ray survey mission, Einstein Probe (EP), promises to revolutionize this field by enabling the discovery and immediate follow-up of FXTs. Proposed origins for FXTs include the tidal disruption of a white dwarf by an intermediate-mass black hole, binary neutron star mergers, supernova shock breakouts, and associations with long-duration gamma-ray bursts. However, in only three cases have we identified counterparts, and this lack of counterparts limits our ability to constrain the origins of FXTs. In my talk, I will discuss the importance of host studies in unravelling the mysterious nature of FXTs. Additionally, I will talk about the search for multi-wavelength counterparts of FXTs discovered by the EP. I will conclude with a brief overview of my future work to be conducted at IIA.