Brendan M. O'Connor
Brendan O'Connor
Astrophysicist
McWilliams Fellow
Carnegie Mellon University
About Me
Hi, I'm Brendan. I am a McWilliams Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University studying cosmic explosions. My research is in the field of time domain and transient astrophysics. In particular, I am interested in the formation and evolution of high energy transients and their progenitors. I use a variety of optical, infrared, and X-ray observatories to study transient phenomena across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Research
Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy
The Swift Deep Galactic Plane Survey
I am a lead member of the Swift Deep Galactic Plane Survey (DGPS) which is conducting a systematic survey of the Galactic Plane to search for X-ray transients. The Survey is focused on identifying a variety of variable X-ray sources, including low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), cataclysmic variables (CVs), and magnetars.
Gamma-ray Bursts
Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) are bright flashes of gamma-rays detected by space satellites. My main interest is in short GRBs, which have a duration less than 2 seconds. These bursts are caused by the coalescence and cataclysmic merger of a system of two neutron stars. Their merger sites represent a main channel for the production of heavy elements in the Universe.
Contact
Carnegie Mellon University
The McWilliams Center for Cosmology and Astrophysics
Credit: M51/Lowell Discovery Telescope/B. O'Connor