Shedding new light on Gamma-Ray Bursts with polarization data

Name: Shedding new light on Gamma-Ray Bursts with polarization data
Start: 2018-11-26T09:00:00+01:00
End: 2018-11-30T11:30:00+01:00
Location: Other Institutes

26 Nov 2018, 09:00 → 30 Nov 2018, 11:30 Europe/Zurich

Other Institutes

Campus Biotech Geneva

Description

During 2016 and 2017 the POLAR instrument detected a total 55 GRBs. It performed polarization measurements for a subset of these and the first results of this will soon be published to add to the first set of GRB polarization measurements performed by GAP earlier this decade. During this workshop the new POLAR results will be presented in detail while results of ongoing analysis projects will also be presented. This workshop serves to discus these new results, together with previous polarization measurements, in light of the different existing emission models.

The goal of the workshop is to produce a clear overview of the different existing theoretical predictions in the field and to discus these in light of these new results. The outcome of the discussions is foreseen to be part of an overview paper which will be organized during this workshop. A second goal is to define the most urgent open tasks within this upcoming field of astrophysics. Such tasks do not only concern theoretical work but also data analysis and hardware projects.

The workshop will take place in Geneva and will be attended by both experts in the field of GRB emission theory, general GRB experts and members of the POLAR collaboration.

A total of 15 participants from outside of Switzerland are invited and funding is available for both travel and accommodation for these participants. Additionally there is place for several other researchers from the field of GRB astrophysics who can contact the organizers in case they're interested in joining the meeting, the total number of participants is limited to 30.

The following topics will be covered:

- Recent GRB polarization measurements by GAP and POLAR

- Recent GRB afterglow polarization measurements

- Theoretical predictions of the polarization of GRB prompt and afterglow emission

- Implications of new measurement results on existing predictions

- Upcoming polarization results using existing data

- Focus of future theoretical work

- Focus of future analysis/measurements

Participants

Andrei Beloborodov
Andrii Neronov
Carole Mundell
Daisuke Yonetoku
Damien Bégué
Francesco Berlato
Hancheng Li
J. Michael Burgess
Jianchao Sun
Jirong Mao
Jochen Greiner
Jonathan Granot
Junjing Wang
Kenji Toma
Maria Munoz Salinas
Mark Pearce
Merlin Kole
Neal Gauvin
Nicolas Produit
Nirmal Iyer
Ramandeep Gill
Shuang-Nan Zhang
Teresa Tymieniecka
Thomas Siegert
Volodymyr Savchenko
Xin Wu
Yuan-Hao Wang
Zhengheng Li

Monday 26 November
- 11:00 → 12:00
  
  Introduction: Introduction/Welcome
  
  Introduction by local organizers, introduction to the goals of the meeting
  
  talk.pdf
- 12:00 → 13:00
  
  Lunch 1h
  
  Lunch at Campus Biotech
- 13:00 → 14:00
  Measurements past and future: GAP results: overview
  
  Introduction to theoretical emission models
  - 13:00
    
    GRB prompt emission polarization measurements by GAP 1h
    
    Speaker: Prof. Daisuke Yonetoku
- 14:00 → 15:00
  Measurements past and future: POLAR: the first science results
  
  Introduction to theoretical emission models
  - 14:00
    
    Detailed polarization measurements of 5 GRBs by POLAR 30m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Shuang-Nan Zhang (IHEP)
  - 14:30
    
    Details of the first POLAR analysis 30m
    
    Speaker: Mr Zhengheng Li (IHEP)
- 15:00 → 15:30
  
  Coffee Break 30m
- 15:30 → 16:15
  Measurements past and future: Polarization measurements without a Compton Telescope and not for GRBs
  
  Introduction to theoretical emission models
  - 15:30
    
    Polarization measurements without a Compton Telescope and not for GRBs 45m
    
    Speaker: Dr Thomas Siegert (MPE)
- 16:15 → 17:15
  Measurements past and future: Polarization measurements of the afterglow
  
  Introduction to theoretical emission models
  - 16:15
    
    Polarization measurements of the GRB afterglow 1h
    
    Speaker: Prof. Carole Mundell
Tuesday 27 November
- 10:00 → 11:45
  
  CERN visit
  
  Visit and tour of CERN
- 11:45 → 13:15
  
  Lunch (back at biotech) 1h 30m
- 13:15 → 14:45
  GRB: Prompt Emission Theories: Prompt emission Theory: Overview
  
  GRB prompt emission and predictions on overall GRB polarization
  - 13:15
    
    GRB Prompt Emission: an overview 45m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Kenji Toma (Tohoku University)
  - 14:00
    
    Polarization of GRB Prompt Emission: An overview 45m
    
    Speaker: Ramandeep Gill (CITA)
    
    Gill-2018.pdf
- 14:45 → 15:15
  
  Coffee Break 30m
- 15:15 → 18:00
  GRB: Prompt Emission Theories: Polarization Predictions Details
  
  GRB prompt emission and predictions on overall GRB polarization
  - 15:15
    
    Polarization Predictions of Photospheric Models 45m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Andrei Beloborodov
  - 16:00
    
    Synchrotron and Jitter Polarization Models towards POLAR Observations 45m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Jirong Mao (YNAO)
  - 16:45
    
    Discussion 1h 15m
    
    How do the theories presented today compare to the measured data?
    
    Are there clear problems with any of the existing models given recent results?
    
    Are we able to exclude any models?
    
    Speaker: Dr Damien Bégué (MPE)
- 19:00 → 21:00
  
  Conference Dinner 2h
Wednesday 28 November
- 09:30 → 12:30
  Future prospects: Polarimetry with 170817A: afterglow models
  
  eXTP - 20181128-Geneva.pdf
  - 09:30
    
    Polarization measurements of the afterglow 1h
    
    Speaker: Prof. Carole Mundell
  - 10:30
    
    Review of the GRB afterglow polarization and recent work on GRB 170817A 45m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Jonathan Granot
    
    Granot_Geneva_28Nov2018(1).pdf
  - 11:15
    
    GRB 170817A afterglow measurements 30m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Carole Mundell
  - 11:45
    
    Theoretical interpretation of the detected circular polarization and the polarimetry of kilonova 170817 45m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Kenji Toma (Tohoku University)
- 12:30 → 13:15
  
  Lunch 45m
- 13:15 → 13:45
  Discussions: What do we need from future instruments?
  - 13:15
    
    What do we need from future instruments? 30m
    
    In light of the discussions from yesterday, what type of measurements are most important for the future? Energy dependence, time dependence? Do we prefer many "ok" measurements or do we prefer a few very detailed ones (quantity vs quality)?
    
    What are the lessons learned from previous missions which can benefit the future ones?
    
    Speaker: Nicolas Produit (Universite de Geneve (CH))
    
    next_instrument.pdf
- 13:45 → 14:10
  Future prospects: GAP2
  
  eXTP - 20181128-Geneva.pdf
  - 13:45
    
    Future prospects with GAP2 20m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Daisuke Yonetoku
- 14:10 → 14:35
  Future prospects: POLAR-2
  
  eXTP - 20181128-Geneva.pdf
  - 14:10
    
    POLAR-2 20m
    
    Speaker: Merlin Reynaard Kole (Universite de Geneve (CH))
- 14:35 → 15:00
  Future prospects: SPHiNX
  
  eXTP - 20181128-Geneva.pdf
  - 14:35
    
    SPHiNX 20m
    
    Speaker: Mark Pearce (KTH)
    
    SPHiNX_Geneva_Pearce.pdf
- 15:00 → 15:30
  
  Coffee Break 30m
- 15:30 → 16:00
  Future prospects: eXTP
  
  eXTP - 20181128-Geneva.pdf
  - 15:30
    
    Polarization measurements with the eXTP mission 20m
    
    Speaker: Prof. Shuang-Nan Zhang (IHEP)
- 16:00 → 17:00
  
  Discussions: What do we need from theory?
- 19:00 → 21:00
  
  Dinner (@ Bain de Paquis) 2h
Thursday 29 November
- 09:30 → 09:45
  Data Analysis: GRB localization: importance for polarization
  
  Ongoing data analysis projects
  - 09:30
    
    The importance of localization 15m
    
    Speaker: Merlin Reynaard Kole (Universite de Geneve (CH))
    
    talk.pdf
- 09:45 → 10:15
  Data Analysis: GRB localization with POLAR
  
  Ongoing data analysis projects
  - 09:45
    
    GRB Localization with POLAR 30m
    
    Speaker: Mr Yuanhao Wang
- 10:15 → 11:10
  Data Analysis: GRB localization with BALROG
  
  Ongoing data analysis projects
  - 10:15
    
    POLARIZATION ANALYSIS FOR REAL INSTRUMENTS 20m
    
    The future of x-ray polarimetry looks bright. Unfortunately, the sources we look at are not. Low and high count measurements both require proper statistical treatment and the literature on polarization statistics is derived from regularity conditions designed for optical measurements. I will discuss these approaches and present a new approach appropriate for both idealized and real x-ray polarimeters. Additionally, I will show that concepts such as "bias" are purely the result of improper statistical treatment.
    
    Speaker: Dr J. Michael Burgess (MPE)
  - 10:35
    
    The BALROG for GRB localization 35m
    
    Speaker: Mr Francesco Berlato (MPE)
- 11:10 → 11:30
  Data Analysis: Future plans with POLAR data: Geneva
  
  Ongoing data analysis projects
  - 11:10
    
    Plans for future analysis POLAR data in Geneva 20m
    
    Speaker: Merlin Reynaard Kole (Universite de Geneve (CH))
    
    presentation_future_work.pdf
- 11:30 → 12:00
  Data Analysis: Future plans with POLAR data: IHEP
  
  Ongoing data analysis projects
  - 11:30
    
    Plans for GRB analysis with POLAR data at IHEP 30m
    
    Speaker: Jianchao Sun (Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
- 12:00 → 13:00
  
  Lunch 1h
- 13:00 → 14:00
  Novel Analysis methods: Forward folding polarization data
  - 13:00
    
    Synchrotron emission and polarization 1h
    
    We present the first joint fits of POLAR and GBM using proper likelihoods, a new forward-folding technique, and physical models. We will discuss the approach, the software (3ML) that enabled this analysis and the physical framework within which we interpret our results.
    
    Speaker: Dr J. Michael Burgess (MPE)
- 14:00 → 15:00
  
  Novel Analysis methods: CDCI: Plans for online analysis tools for polarization data
- 15:00 → 15:30
  
  Coffee Break 30m
- 15:30 → 16:15
  Novel Analysis methods: CDCI: POLAR data demonstration
  - 15:30
    
    CDCI: POLAR data demonstration 45m
    
    Speaker: Dr Neal Gauvin (Universite de Geneve (CH))
    
    cdci.pdf
    
    reduced_data_format.pdf
- 16:15 → 17:15
  Novel Analysis methods: Discussion: What do we need to make polarization analysis accessible?
  - 16:15
    
    How do we make polarization analysis open? 1h
    
    With the increase in available polarization data it becomes possible to make this data public and allow any interested party to perform analysis on it. This requires simple, transparent thoroughly tested public tools as well as data in easy to use formats.
    
    We aim to discus here what people from the theory and analysis community would like to do with public polarization data and how we can best provide such tools.
    
    Speaker: Merlin Reynaard Kole (Universite de Geneve (CH))
Friday 30 November
- 09:30 → 11:15
  
  Final discussions: Planning future projects
- 11:15 → 11:30
  
  Final discussions: Closing