Astrophysics and Cosmology

Astrophysics and Cosmology

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Emrah Kalemci
  • X-ray detectors for astrophysics and health

    Semiconductor X- and Gamma-ray detectors are utilized extensively in astrophysics as focal plane instruments in X-ray satellites, in healthcare industry for diagnosis of cancer and other diseases and in homeland security to detect dirty bombs and to prevent unlawful transport of radioactive material.

    The advancement of high energy astrophysics is strongly linked to the development of capable semiconductor detectors. At High Energy Astrophysics Detector Laboratory we design, produce and test Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors.

    Recent work on CdZnTe detector development focuses using these detectors in small satellites called CubeSats. BeEagleSat, the first satellite carrying a scientific instrument from Turkey was launched from the International Space Station in 2017. An improved version of the detector is being produced to conduct long term observations of black holes on Sharjah-Sat-1. The same detector systems can also be utilized in healthcare industry as gamma-probes and gamma-cameras for X-ray imaging, medical diagnostic.

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Emrah Kalemci
  • Observational High Energy Astrophysics
    The observational high energy astrophysics group at Sabanci University use data from X-ray telescopes (Chandra, XMM-Newton, Swift, INTEGRAL) as well as data from ground facilities and study different aspects of neutron stars and black holes through imaging, spectral, timing and polarization analysis. We are specifically interested in how jets form and die in galactic black hole transients through multiwavelength observations. Timing and spectral data from X-ray satellites are combined with radio and near infrared data to pinpoint changes in nature of accretion as jets forms.Our group also works on how the interstellar medium alters the spectral and timing properties of black holes by analyzing imaging data from X-ray telescopes. The so called “dust scattering halos” produced by scattering of bright black hole outbursts can be used to determine distance to the object.
Ersin Göğüş
Yuki Kaneko

Magnetars, which are extremely magnetized neutron stars are at the focus of our research interests. We investigate their highly energetic burst


characteristics using primarily Fermi GBM observations, as well as long term persistent X-ray emission properties. Here are our ongoing research projects related to magnetars:

  • Investigations of burst storms from SGR J1935+2154
  • Search for untriggered bursts in the high time resolution observations with Fermi GBM
  • The link between magnetars and highly magnetic rotation powered pulsars: Burst properties of Swift J1818.0-1607 and PSR J1846-0258