Dr. Erik Osinga is a postdoctoral fellow at the Dunlap Institute. He completed his PhD at Leiden University in 2023. Erik's work centres on understanding how magnetic fields and particle acceleration shape the environments within and around galaxy clusters. As an observational astronomer, Erik specializes in state-of-the-art radio telescopes that are precursors to the Square Kilometre Array. Beyond interpreting the scientific results, Erik is also involved in processing data for the POSSUM and VLASS surveys and preparing it for use by the broader astronomical community.
Title: Galaxy clusters as the Universe’s largest particle accelerators
Abstract: Mergers of galaxy clusters represent the most energetic events since the Big Bang, releasing energies up to 10^64 ergs over Gyr timescales. This energy is dissipated through shocks and turbulence in the intracluster medium, transforming clusters into the Universe’s largest laboratories for studying cosmic ray acceleration and magnetic field amplification. However, our understanding has largely been limited to massive and nearby clusters due to observational constraints. In this talk, I will show how observations at the longest wavelengths observable from the ground are revealing new insights into both turbulence and magnetic field amplification. Additionally, I will discuss how advances in radio polarimetry and new surveys such as POSSUM are revealing the first detailed magnetic field structures within individual clusters.
Location Information
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, ON, CA N2L 3G1
