Friday, October 03, 2025 at 12:15 pm

JILA Foothills room

Dang Pham , CU Boulder

"Small Bodies, Small Stars "

Abstract:

Elements heavier than Helium are expected to sink quickly on white dwarf atmospheres, yet are observed on 25-50% of white dwarfs, indicating that these stars are accreting materials from their evolved planetary system. In this talk, I will present simulation results showing the sustained pollution of white dwarfs over Gyr timescales from exo-Oort cloud objects. I will discuss the rich gravitational dynamics driving these bodies to high eccentricities through the interplay of the Galactic tide and a companion star or planet. Next, the developments of new N-body methods to facilitate these simulations are briefly discussed. Switching gear, I will discuss interstellar objects - neutron stars' impacts as a potential mechanism to produce fast radio bursts (millisecond radio transient events with debated origins and mechanisms) and potential observational implications.

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