Matthew G. Baring

About

Matthew G. Baring is a professor at Rice University, where he has been a faculty member since 2001. His professional background includes positions at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, North Carolina State University, and the Max Planck Institut fuer Astrophysik in Garching bei Muenchen, Germany. His research focuses on theoretical high energy astrophysics and cosmic ray physics, with particular attention to modeling X-ray and gamma-ray emission from highly-magnetized pulsars, and exploring the effects of photon splitting and resonant Compton scattering in strong magnetic fields, especially in neutron star systems such as pulsars and magnetars. Dr. Baring's work involves incorporating radiation physics into Monte Carlo modeling of pair cascades in neutron star magnetospheres, aiming to discern the action of exotic predictions of relativistic quantum electrodynamics (QED) in strong magnetic fields, including magnetic birefringence and photon splitting. He has also extensively researched gamma-ray bursts, analyzing relativistic beaming in these sources, and investigates emission from ultra-relativistic plasma particles in the jets of active galaxies, with a focus on diffusive shock acceleration and its implications for emission. His theoretical techniques span mathematical analyses and numerical simulations, employing physics principles from relativistic quantum mechanics, classical electrodynamics, plasma physics, and general relativity.

Research topics

• Astrophysics
• Physics
• Astronomy
• Aerospace engineering
• Medicine
• Engineering
• Optics

Selected publications

• Fermi-GBM Discovery of GRB 221009A: An Extraordinarily Bright GRB from Onset to Afterglow

  The Astrophysical Journal Letters · 2023 · 135 citations

  Abstract We report the discovery of GRB 221009A, the highest flux gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (Fermi-GBM). This GRB has continuous prompt emission lasting more than 600 s, which smoothly transitions to afterglow emission visible in the Fermi-GBM energy range (8 keV–40 MeV), and total energetics higher than any other burst in the Fermi-GBM sample. By using a variety of new and existing analysis techniques we probe the spectral and temporal evolution of…

  DOI

• XL-Calibur – a second-generation balloon-borne hard X-ray polarimetry mission

  Astroparticle Physics · 2020 · 62 citations

  DOI

• GRB 221009A: The B.O.A.T. Burst that Shines in Gamma Rays

  The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series · 2025-02-28 · 16 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract We present a complete analysis of Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data of GRB 221009A, the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever detected. The burst emission above 30 MeV detected by the LAT preceded, by 1 s, the low-energy (<10 MeV) pulse that triggered the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM), as has been observed in other GRBs. The prompt phase of GRB 221009A lasted a few hundred seconds. It was so bright that we identify a bad time interval of 64 s caused by the extremely high flu…

  PublisherDOI

• X-Ray Polarization of the Magnetar 1E 1841−045

  The Astrophysical Journal Letters · 2025-05-28 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract We report on IXPE and NuSTAR observations beginning 40 days after the 2024 outburst onset of magnetar 1E 1841−045, marking the first IXPE observation of a magnetar in an enhanced state. Our spectropolarimetric analysis indicates that both a blackbody (BB) plus double power-law (PL) and a double blackbody plus power-law spectral model fit the phase-averaged intensity data well, with a hard PL tail (Γ = 1.19 and 1.35, respectively) dominating above ≈5 keV. For the former model, we find th…

  PublisherDOI

• <i>XL-Calibur</i> measurements of polarized hard X-ray emission from the Crab

  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters · 2025-03-18 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT We report measurements of the linear polarization degree (PD) and angle (PA) for hard X-ray emission from the Crab pulsar and wind nebula. Measurements were made with the XL-Calibur ($\sim$15–80 keV) balloon-borne Compton-scattering polarimeter in July 2024. The polarization parameters are determined using a Bayesian analysis of Stokes parameters obtained from X-ray scattering angles. Well-constrained ($\sim 8.5\sigma$) results are obtained for the polarization of the $\sim$19–64 keV si…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: Radio, X-ray and Gamma-Ray Emission from Neutron Stars

  NSF · $199k · 2010–2014

• Modeling Emission and Particle Acceleration in Magnetars

  NSF · $273k · 2006–2011

• Cosmic Ray Ion and Electron Production at Relativistic Shocks in Gamma-Ray Bursts

  NSF · $75k · 2008–2012

Frequent coauthors

• I. A. Grenier

  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

  307 shared

• F. Piron

  Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier

  247 shared

• N. Omodei

  Stanford University

  246 shared

• A. K. Harding

  234 shared

• J. M. Casandjian

  Université Paris Cité

  227 shared

• L. Tibaldo

  Université de Toulouse

  219 shared

• J. Cohen-Tanugi

  Université Clermont Auvergne

  185 shared

• S. Razzaque

  182 shared

Similar researchers at Rice University

• Frank Geurtsh-157
• Karl Ecklundh-142
• José N. Onuchich-126