A star like our Sun will eventually swell as a red giant, engulfing the inner planets, before losing its outer layers and becoming a white dwarf. A star eight or ten times bigger will explode as a supernova, leaving behind a neutron star. A much larger star might collapse directly into a black hole, perhaps generating a hypernova and an associated gamma-ray burst. Compact objects play an important role in both physics and astrophysics. The extreme gravitational fields near the stars make them valuable as physical laboratories for studying the gravitational force itself.
Some compact objects are also useful as astrophysical probes.
At UCSC, we are particularly interested in the study of radio pulsars and gamma-ray bursts. This web site serves as an introduction to those two fields, and also contains a variety of resources that will be of interest to researchers working in both fields. We have also included an introduction to some of the research projects that are being carried out by team members here on campus, and in collaboration with other scientists around the world, as well as links to recent group publications and preprints.