Joint Astrophysical Colloquium
Galactic High-Energy Transients in the Time-Domain Astronomy Era
Daniela hadasch (ICE-CSIC)
Thursday 15/01/2026 @ 11:30, Sala Antonio Sollima (IV piano Battiferro)
Transient phenomena in the high-energy and very-high-energy sky provide powerful probes of particle acceleration, shock formation, and magnetic field dynamics in some of the most extreme environments in our Galaxy. Over the past decade, observations from space- and ground-based gamma-ray instruments have revealed that many Galactic systems can transition between quiescent and highly active states, exhibiting short-lived bursts, flares, and state changes across a wide range of timescales and energies. These discoveries have challenged simplified steady-state emission scenarios and highlighted the need for coordinated multi-wavelength and time-domain approaches that link gamma-ray behavior to activity observed at radio, optical, and X-ray energies. In this talk, I will review recent progress in the study of Galactic high-energy transients, discuss what these systems reveal about the mechanisms responsible for accelerating particles to relativistic energies, and outline key open questions that remain. I will also present the prospects for future discoveries with the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), whose sensitivity and rapid-response capabilities are expected to significantly advance time-resolved studies of transient gamma-ray emission in the Milky Way.