Title: Observational studies of radio sources associated with transients
(X-ray binaries and GRBs) and compact objects

Time: Thursday (Sept. 1) 2 pm
Location: middle conference room, third floor
Speaker: Dr. Aquib Moin

Abstract: I will describe two major observational projects carried out at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) of Curtin University: a) a long-term Gamma-Ray Burst radio detection and monitoring program in the Southern Hemisphere; and b) e-VLBI observations and
monitoring of neutron star X-ray binary, Circinus X-1. In the first project, a dedicated observational campaign was carried out spanning 2.5 years to search for the long-lasting radio afterglows associated with GRBs. The objective was to find such a radio afterglow and to continue studying it by means of regular radio observations, over an extended period of time so to try and understand the physical processes associated with the GRB and to test proposed theoretical models. The second project was an unprecedented and unique e-VLBI campaign on Circinus X-1. A project like this had never been conducted in the Southern Hemisphere before and the aim was to monitor the radio behaviour of the system as a function of its orbital phase by making frequent e-VLBI observations along its entire binary orbit. Following this campaign, high-resolution VLBI observations were also conducted which resulted in the detection of the milliarcsecond scale jets associated with Circinus X-1. In this talk, I shall attempt to describe the strategy and execution of the radio observations under the framework of both projects and will highlight the key results and outcomes.