Physics and Astronomy Blog

Clemson astrophysicist’s research could shed light on the search for dark matter.

Alex McDaniel, a postdoctoral, and Marco Ajello, an associate professor, in the Clemson University Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Alex McDaniel is a postdoctoral fellow in the Clemson University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and his collaborators search dwarf galaxies for dark matter “that self-annihilates into ordinary matter and gamma rays, a form of light at the highest energy levels. Dwarf galaxies are ideal for study because they are small, rich in dark matter and mostly lack other astrophysics phenomena such as gas, dust and supernova that could contaminate the findings.” McDaniel explains that they specifically look for these because they can give a clear signal or can help rule out certain particle theories. 

Read more here: 
Clemson astrophysicist’s research could provide a hint in the search for dark matter | Clemson News

Studying a bright gamma-ray burst from neutron star merger, astronomers discover heavy elements.

Illustration courtesy of Luciano Rezzolla, University of Frankfurt, Germany

Dieter Hartmann and an international team of astronomers “obtained observational evidence for the creation of rare heavy elements in the aftermath of a cataclysmic explosion triggered by the merger of two neutron stars.” They were studying a massive gamma-ray burst named GRB230307A, which was first detected on March 7, 2023. Scientists discovered that this burst resulted from two neutron stars merging in a distant galaxy. 

“The breakthrough discovery puts astronomers one step closer to solving the mystery of the origin of elements that are heavier than iron.”

Adapted from:
Astronomers discover heavy elements after bright gamma-ray burst from neutron star merger | Clemson News

Students Abroad

Third year graduate student Meenakshi Rajagopal is spending 6 months at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) institute near Berlin (Germany). She will work with scientists in the DESY gamma-ray group to perform a new measurement of the extragalactic gamma-ray background. This background represents one of most important observables in multi-messenger astrophysics.