2024 Theses Doctoral

Electromagnetic and Multimessenger Signals From Magnetized Outflows of Compact Object Binaries

Sridhar, Navin

The extreme environments around compact object binaries make them rich laboratories to study some of the most energetic and enigmatic astrophysical phenomena known or unbeknownst to us.

Many such high-energy astrophysical events are powered by relativistic, magnetized outflows that arise from the interaction of the compact object with its companion star during its evolution. Such macroscopic outflows are expected to be sources of magnetic dissipation, and consequently, particle energization, through microscopic processes such as magnetic reconnection, turbulence, or large-scale shocks.

In this dissertation, I present novel scenarios that predict, and offer explanations to the observed, high-energy electromagnetic and multimessenger signals, potentially generated by the magnetized outflows from compact object binaries during different stages of their evolution. These scenarios are modeled using analytical calculations and numerical simulations.