Conferences, Schools and Workshops
The 2nd Edition of the CTAO Science Symposium 2024
Prof. Soebur Razzaque’s poster, ‘Catching bright GRBs with TeV gamma-ray observatories‘, was displayed during ‘Spark Session 3’ at the 2nd Edition of the CTAO Science Symposium 2024 in Bologna, Italy, from April 15-19, 2024. Ms. Anna Larmuth was also present at the conference to support the communications team.
The conference discussed the Observatory’s new phase of development and growth, along with its potential scientific impact. The new visual identity and website were also launched. Visit the new website at www.ctao.org or check out the conference’s dedicated website at https://www.ctao-symposium.org/.
The 4th Annual AfAS Conference 2024
Prof. Soebur Razzaque presented his contributed talk titled ‘Multiwavelength emission from Gamma-Ray Burst’ at the 4th Annual AfAS Conference held in Marrakech, Morocco from April 15 to 20, 2024. This conference aims to further the goals of AfAS by focusing on astronomy research, outreach, communication, and education activities in Africa. It also aims to promote collaboration between countries. For more information on the conference proceedings, visit the dedicated Indico website here: https://conference.afasociety.org/
The American Physical Society’s April Meeting 2024: Quarks to Cosmos
Prof. Soebur Razzaque presented his contributed talk titled ‘Search for Pseudo-Dirac Neutrinos from Astrophysical Sources in IceCube Data‘ at the American Physical Society’s April Meeting held in Sacramento, California from April 3 to 6, 2024. The theme of the ‘Quarks to Cosmos’ meeting is “New Challenges and Questions for the Micro and Macro Universe”. This scientific conference brings together physicists and students from around the world. It encourages connection and collaboration across various fields of physics, including astrophysics, particle physics, nuclear physics, and gravitation. For more information on the meeting proceedings, visit the dedicated Indico website here: https://april.aps.org/
Quantum Information Workshop 2024
The ‘Quantum Information Workshop 2024’, hosted by the Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) took place from February 5-7, 2024, at the University of Johannesburg’s Physics Department and was also available virtually on Zoom. This follows the Applications of Quantum Information in Astrophysics and Cosmology Workshop, which took place at the Mathematics & Applied Mathematics Department at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Cape Town from April 24-26, 2023.
The lectures aimed to introduce quantum information fundamentals and their applications, targeting advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students. Lectures were self-contained and assumed a basic understanding of quantum mechanics. Tutorial problems supplemented the lectures, promoting collaborative problem-solving among students.
The lecturers included Prof. Tibra Ali from Brac University Bangladesh, Dr. Shajid Haque from the University of Cape Town (UCT), and our own Dr. Garreth Kemp from the Physics Department, as well as Dr. Khushboo Dixit, a postdoc at the Centre.
For more information about the workshop, visit the dedicated webpage here: https://indico.cern.ch/e/QIW2024
The 44th International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA)
Ms. Dimakatso Maheso attended the ‘The 44th International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA)’, which took place from 19 November to 9 December 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ms. Maheso presented a project titled “Studying FGCE 0328 through its spectral lines”. Observations were conducted using the SALT telescope during the school.
For more information about this school, visit their website: https://isya2023.saao.ac.za/
TeVPA 2023
Contributions by Staff and Students
Contributed Talks:
HEASA 2023
Contributions by Staff and Students
Contributed Talks:
- Prof. Soebur Razzaque: Virtual
- Prof. Hartmut Winkler: Photometry of blazars using the Las Cumbres Observatory robotic telescope network
- Mr. Lutendo Nyadzani: X-ray – UV anti-correlation in ultra-luminous sources
- Ms. Chanelle Gouws: Engaging physics departments and science faculties in outreach activities
- Ms. Anna Samara Larmuth: The significance of social media in physics: Insights from a social media specialist secondee at CTAO
- Ms. Monica Barnard: Modelling very-high-energy gamma-rays detected from GRBs with external Compton emission using Naima (Virtual)
- Ms. Tamador Aldowma: Joint spectral analysis of Fermi and Swift data from gamma-ray bursts
- Mr. Luyanda Mazwi: Estimation of the orbital inclination angle for compact binary mergers through Bayesian inference
- Ms. Dimakatso Maheso: Temporal and spectral analysis of short GRBs detected by the Fermi gamma-ray burst monitor with known redshift
Excursion
Mtunzini River Cruise
The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) team had an amazing time attending the Mtunzini river cruise during the HEASA 2023 conference.
The team enjoyed the beautiful scenery and had some great conversations about the local wildlife. We hope to have many more experiences at future conferences!
New Evolution of MultiMessenger Astrophysics 2023
Prof. Razzaque delivered a keynote talk at the New Evolution of MultiMessenger Astrophysics (NEMMA) symposium held at Penn State University, USA from August 21 to 23, 2023.
For more information about the symposium, visit https://web.cvent.com/event/735ff167-c195-4c89-814b-1725f0113bb6/summary.
Second MaNiTou Summer School on Gravitational Waves: A new window to the Universe
Mr. Luyanda Mazwi (Master’s Student) attended the Second MaNiTou Summer School on Gravitational Waves: A New Window to the Universe in Nice, France from July 3-8, 2023.
SAIP 2023
Staff and students from the Department of Physics and the Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) attended the ‘67th Annual Conference of the South African Institute of Physics‘ at the University of Zululand, Richards Bay Campus from July 3-7, 2023.
Contributions by Staff and Students
Contributed Talks:
- Prof. Soebur Razzaque: Possible origins of > 10 TeV photons detected from the burst of all time (BOAT) GRB 221009A
- Ms. Dimakatso Maheso: Pulse fitting and spectral analysis of Fermi -GBM short GRBs with known redshift and comparisons with magnetar giant flares
- Mr. Lutendo Nyadzani: ULXs as progenitors of merging compact binary systems
- Ms. Getrude Thando Mothogoane: Star-forming galaxies and radio-active galactic nuclei in the faint radio sky
Posters:
- Mr. Thabo Msiza: Fitting NOvA and T2K data with the revamped 𝐴4 symmetry model for the poorly constrained neutrino oscillation parameters
Awards:
- Mr. Lutendo Nyadzani: Best PhD Presentation in the Astrophysics Division (See his contributed talk here: ULXs as progenitors of merging compact binary systems)
PPC 2023
Prof. Soebur Razzaque (Director) attended the ‘PPC 2023: XVI International Conference on Interactions between Particle Physics and Cosmology‘ in Daejeon, South Korea from 12-16 June 2023.
Prof. Razzaque presented a contributed talk titled ‘Possible origins of > 10 TeV photons detected from GRB 221009A’.
Banff International Research Station: Quantum Information Theory in Quantum Field Theory and Cosmology 2023
Dr. Khushboo Dixit (Postdoctoral Research Fellow) attended the ‘Quantum Information Theory in Quantum Field Theory and Cosmology 2023‘ conference at the Banff International Research Station in Banff, Canada from June 4th to June 9th, 2023.
Dr. Dixit presented a contributed talk titled ‘Quantum Spread Complexity in Neutrino Oscillations‘. You can watch Dr. Dixit’s talk below:
Fermi Summer School 2023
Ms. Tamador Aldowma (PhD Student) and Ms. Dimakatso Maheso (Master’s Student) attended the ‘Fermi Summer School 2023‘ at the University of Delaware Conference Center in the United States from May 30 to June 9, 2023.
Ms. Aldowma presented a talk titled ‘Using machine learning to estimate Fermi GRB redshifts’, while Ms. Maheso presented a talk titled ‘Pulse fitting of short gamma-ray bursts and the magnetar giant flare, GRB200415A, with the Norris function’.
Applications of Quantum Information in Astrophysics and Cosmology Workshop 2023
The NITheCS ‘Applications of Quantum Information in Astrophysics and Cosmology’ workshop was held at the Mathematics & Applied Mathematics Department at the University of Cape Town (UCT) during 24-26 April 2023. The conference aimed to showcase recent developments in Quantum Information Theory (QIT) with a focus on quantum field theory and cosmology as topics. To visit the conference’s Indico site, go to https://indico.cern.ch/e/NITheCSQIT.
Contributions by Staff and Students
Contributed Talks
- Tamador Aldowma: Machine Learning approach to probe Gamma-Ray Bursts as Cosmological Standard Candles
- Luyanda Mazwi: Estimation of orbital inclination angle for compact binary mergers through Bayesian Inference
- Thabo Msiza: Fitting NOvA and T2K data with the revamped A_4 symmetry model for the poorly constrained neutrino oscillation parameters
- Khushboo Dixit: Quantum information theoretic aspects of neutrino oscillations
SAAO Magnetism & Accretion Conference in Memory of Darragh O’Donoghue 2023
The SAAO ‘Magnetism & Accretion’ conference in memory of Darragh O’Donoghue took place in Cape Town, South Africa during the period 16-19 January 2023 and focused on the topic of magnetically influenced accretion and outflows throughout the Universe. The conference received support from the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), the University of Cape Town Department of Astronomy and the Southern African Large Telescope Foundation.
Contributions by Staff and Students
Contributed Talks
- Soebur Razzaque: Recent highlights on gamma-ray bursts
- Lutendo Nyadzani: ULXs as progenitors of merging compact binary systems
- Monica Barnard: Very high-energy gamma-ray afterglows from GRB 180720B and GRB 190829A with external Compton emission (Virtual)
Posters
- Dimakatso Jeannett Maheso: Spectral and temporal analysis of short gamma-ray bursts detected by the Fermi space telescope with known redshift (Poster Talk)
The Tenth International Fermi Symposium 2022
The Tenth International Fermi Symposium was held in person for participants from around the world at Misty Hills Country Hotel, Conference Centre, and Spa from the 9th-15th October 2022. This meeting focused on the new scientific investigations and results enabled by Fermi, the mission and instrument characteristics, future opportunities, and coordinated observations and analyses. Visit the Tenth International Fermi Symposium’s Indico Page here.
Contributions by Staff and Students
Contributed Talks
Posters
- Dimakatso Maheso (Co-Author): Multi-messenger Astrophysics Master Class: Gamma Rays
- Tamador Aldowma: Neural Networks for Estimation of Gamma-Ray Burst Redshifts
- Mfuphi Ntshatsha: Constraining magnetic fields and gamma-ray production zones in blazar jets by fitting the broad-band spectral energy distribution
- Monica Barnard: Modelling external inverse Compton emission of gamma-ray burst afterglows in the very-high-energy regime
Excursions
Participants of the Tenth International Fermi Symposium 2022 were taken out for the day to experience what South Africa has to offer!
Participants were taken on a game drive at the Rhino and Lion Park to see wild animals, such as White and Brown Lions, Cheetahs, Rhinos, and everything in between! Participants had a picnic lunch at the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory, where they also received a tour of the observatory. Last but not least, participants were taken to experience the deep depths of the Sterkfontein Caves, where they also received a specialty tour from the tour guides in the anthropology shed.
In the evening, participants wined and dined on specialty meat at the Carnivore, located on the praises of Misty Hills.
Carbon Wise Certificate
The Recreation African Group certifies that the Tenth International Fermi Symposium hosted by the Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (University of Johannesburg) from 9th-15th October 2022 is Carbon Wise for choosing Misty Hills Country Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa as the hosting venue. In honour of the conference, 15 trees will be planted. The Recreation African Group will plant ONE Indigenous tree for every TEN Conference Delegates at one of their Venues. For more information about the Recreation African Group, click here.
