Max-Planck-Institue for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE)

Course with Participations of Group Members

Offers for Theses in the Group

Localization of gamma-ray transients

The 2017 detection of gravitational waves (GW) with the advanced LIGO/Virgo instruments in conjunction with a short gamma-ray burst (GRB) has surprised gamma-ray astronomers because of the substantially different properties of the GRB signal as compared to canonical GRBs. Similarly, the production of gamma-ray flares coincident with fast radio bursts is a mystery. This motivates an "open-mind" search for untriggered transient events in the data stream of the gamma-ray burst monitor (GBM) on the Fermi satellite. With a previous Master thesis we have developed an automated search for gamma-ray transients in Fermi/GBM data.

This thesis shall be devoted to improve this pipeline, and establish a Python program for checking for potential counterparts of these newly identified transients in existing data of the Swift/BAT survey, with the goal of an identification and good localization.

The project includes elements from computational and observational high-energy astrophysics, and will allow for obtaining extensive knowledge on the broad class of high-energy transients. Some background in astrophysics is advantageous, but affinity with Python programming is a must.                                              
                                                                                   
Contact: Jochen Greiner, jcg@mpe.mpg.de, MPE Room 1.3.13, Tel. 30000-3847

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Jochen Greiner

Testing the Fireball Modell of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are flashes of gamma-ray resulting from the death of massive stars or the merger of neutron stars. They are followed by an `afterglow' signal that can be detected from radio to X-rays, produced by a shock wave moving into the gas surrounding the burster at approximately the speed of light. This afterglow light is well modelled with synchrotron emission, with the cooling frequency typically being close to the optical wavebands. This thesis shall use a dataset of optical and X-ray data of 60 GRB afterglows and determine the location of the cooling break, and test the closure relations which exist between the spectral slope and the temporal decay slope. Technically, this involves (i) understanding optical and X-ray data, (ii) learn combined fitting of different instrument's data, (iii) understand synchrotron emission and the afterglow fireball modell, (iv) estimate uncertainties of the fit parameters, and (v) derive conclusions about the validity and limits of the model. The project includes elements from computational and observational high-energy astrophysics, and will allow for obtaining extensive knowledge on gamma-ray bursts and related phenomena. Some background in astrophysics is advantageous, but affinity with Python programming is a must. Contact: Jochen Greiner, jcg@mpe.mpg.de, MPE Room 1.3.13, Tel. 30000-3847

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Jochen Greiner

Current and Finished Theses in the Group