Interstellar travel guide: Chronicles of a violent universe

Authors

  • Manel Perucho University of Valencia (Spain).
  • José A. Font University of Valencia (Spain).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.7.8821

Keywords:

relativity, black holes, neutron stars, active galaxies, hydrodynamics

Abstract

In contrast to observations from our local viewpoint, the universe is extremely violent. Explosions of massive stars, X-ray and gamma-ray binary stars, and active galaxies are related to the presence of compact objects such as neutron stars or black holes. Processes such as matter accretion or the formation and release of relativistic plasma jets are responsible for the generation of large amounts of high-energy radiation, caused by the acceleration of elementary particles, and have a significant impact in their surroundings. Moreover, they are related to the generation of gravitational waves: vibrations in spacetime produced by the acceleration of compact massive objects that produce strong curvatures. These systems are studied within the framework of the general and special relativity theories. In this article, we summarise several of the most well-known astrophysical scenarios, and offer a brief description of what we currently know about them.

 

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Author Biographies

Manel Perucho, University of Valencia (Spain).

Tenured professor of Physics at the University of Valencia (Spain). His research focuses on the study of relativistic fluids in different astrophysical scenarios using relativistic hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics numerical simulations. Among the scenarios he studies, are the jets generated in active galactic nuclei or in binary X-ray or gamma-ray stars. He was the principal investigator on different supercomputer calculation projects as well as on an international observation project with the Russian space telescope Radioastron.

José A. Font, University of Valencia (Spain).

Tenured professor of Physics at the University of Valencia (Spain). His field of research is relativistic astrophysics and in particular, he studies neutron stars, black holes, and gravitational radiation using computational tools such as relativistic hydrodynamics or magnetohydrodynamics and numerical relativity. He was the president of the Spanish Society of Gravitation and Relativity and now coordinates the Valencia group for the Virgo collaboration and directs the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the University of Valencia.

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Published

2017-06-20

How to Cite

Perucho, M., & Font, J. A. (2017). Interstellar travel guide: Chronicles of a violent universe. Metode Science Studies Journal, (7), 143–151. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.7.8821
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Issue

Unravelling science: Pulling the thread of knowledge (2017)

Section

Violent universe. High-energy astrophysics and cosmology in the twenty-first century

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