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M. Boettcher (Rice University)
Material illuminated by a rapidly variable flux of ionizing radiation, such as the X-ray and \gamma-ray emission from a gamma-ray burst (GRB) or from a hot, thermal corona around an accreting compact object, is expected not to be in thermal and ionization equilibrium if the time scale of variability of the illuminating source is of the order of or shorter than the recombination time scale in the illuminated medium. In this case, standard equilibrium solutions for Compton reflection and line transfer problems may not be used. I report on the development of a new, time-dependent radiation transfer code. I will present first results on Compton reflection features from non-equilibrium material, relevant to GRBs and Galactic black-hole candidates.
This work is supported through a Chandra Postdoctoral Fellowship.