Marina Orio (Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison and Astronomical Observatory Padova)
Nova outburst are true multi-wavelength and probably multi-messenger sources, emitting copious flux from the radio range to gamma-rays; a nearby symbiotic nova may also have a measurable neutrino flux. I observe novae in X-rays to study the physical parameters of the massive white dwarfs in novae, and to obtain the spectra of the ejecta. The latter reveal new - or seldom observed - atomic physics. I will summarize how our findings are constraining binary evolution, and how we learn new facts about violent astrophysical shocks.
Grzegorz Madejski (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC))
Rubin Observatory is an optical/near infrared telescope, featuring a wide-field optics, with the world largest CCD camera (3.2 Gigapixels!) in its focal plane. The presentation will highlight the first results from the Observatory, including the first images obtained at the end of 2024 with the Rubin Commissioning Camera. It will also show the Rubin First Look images from the full-size LSST camera. Dr, Madejski will also highlight some of the tools available to reduce and analyze the Rubin data.
Andrzej Zdziarski (Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw)
The most spectacular jets are observed from active galactic nuclei, in particular, from quasars. However, highly interesting jets are also launched by accretion flows in stellar binaries containing a normal star accreting onto a stellar-mass black hole. Such systems are analogs of quasars on a much smaller scale and are called microquasars. There are two distinctly different types of jets in microquasars. Jets of the first type are steady and are launched during accretion states characterized by hard X-ray emission. They are launched over weeks to months but are observed only up to maximum distances of about 1/1000 of a parsec. Those of the other type are launched on time scales of only a day during transitions of the accretion flow from the hard to soft spectral states but are observed as moving ejecta up to a parsec scale, i.e., up to ~1000 times larger distances. I will discuss possible causes of this difference, the jet emission mechanisms, collimation, the presence of electron-positron pairs, magnetic fields, bulk Lorentz factors, and the jet power.
Jarosław Duda (Jagiellonian University, Cracow)
While naively laser only excites target, it can also cause its deexcitation – as stimulated emission, SASE (self-amplified spontaneous emission), synchrotron self-absorption, ASE (amplified spontaneous emission), or in Rabi cycle cyclically causing excitation and deexcitation. STED microscopy is a popular application of laser causing deexcitation - I would like to propose and discuss a few more, based on its properties suggested by CPT symmetry. For example, while CT scanner makes 3D maps of absorption coefficient, CPT symmetry suggests how to analogously measure/map emission coefficients, what should have much better transparency thanks to lower concentrations (N2 << N1). Related medical application could be causing deexcitation of autoluminescent molecules like NADH, e.g. to starve cancer tissue. It suggests also how to build new type of telescope - seeing synchrotron radiation, but not thermal. Finally, the original motivation was more symmetric and powerful two-way quantum computers (2WQC), for example with photonic chip between coupled laser resonators.
Surajit Kalita (Warsaw University Observatory)
Mirosław Kicia (CAMK PAN, Warsaw)
Pratik Dabhade (National Center for Nuclear Research (NCBJ), Warsaw)
