Title: Black Holes and Neutron Stars in our Galaxy as Laboratories for Strong Gravity

Speaker: Tomaso Belloni (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)

Date/Time: April 22, 2015 Wednesday at 13:40

Place: Sabancı University, FENS L062

Abstract:
Binary systems containing a black hole or a neutron star offer the
best possibility to test prediction of General Relativity in the
strong field regime. The plasma stripped from the non-degenerate
companion star reaches the space time in the immediate vicinity of the
compact object and releases strong X-ray emission. The spectral and
variability properties of this emission contain the signatures of
predicted effects such as the presence of an innermost stable orbit
and black hole spin.
I discuss the current observational status with particular emphasis
onto sub-second time variability, which constitutes the most direct
measurement of the properties of the plasma accreting onto a collapsed
star.

contact: Ersin Göğüş ersing@sabanciuniv.edu