PHYS SEMINAR:Gamma-Ray Bursts: a Powerful Probe of the Cosmos

Abstract: Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic explosive events in the Universe, and serve as a powerful tool for deciphering the mystery of the Cosmos.  Their energy budget and the immense brightness allow us to explore extreme physical environments and the early Universe closer to the Big Bang.  With the advancements of space-based and ground-based telescope technologies, GRBs are at the forefront as a probe for unveiling the cosmos with the multi-messenger observations involving gravitational waves, neutrino, and cosmic rays.  In this talk, I will give a brief overview of GRB science, and discuss how my research topics in GRBs as well as other high-energy transients fit into the big picture, and help gain a deeper understanding of the Universe.

Bio: Dr. Yuki Kaneko is an instructor at the Foundations Development Directorate (FDD) at Sabancı University.   She received her Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, in the gamma-ray astrophysics group at the National Space Science and Technology Center.  Subsequently, she was a research associate at the Universities Space Research Association, and an IB Physics instructor at TEV İnanç Türkeş High School for Gifted Students before joining Sabancı University in 2009 as a postdoctoral researcher.  At FDD, she teaches and coordinates the Science of Nature courses to freshman students, and also leads the Promoting Excellence in Education and Resource Sharing (PEERS) initiative. She has offered numerous professional development seminars and workshops to faculties and graduate students especially in innovative teaching methods, while continuing her astrophysics research.