Cominsky Probes Pulsars and Bursters
Dr. Lynn Cominsky's research activities expanded this year, as she received additional grants to work on data from the Japanese X-ray astronomy satellite ASCA  , NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory,  and the newly-launched Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer  . The last-named orbiting observatory features a large detecting area, which enables researchers to measure X-rays from binary systems, including pulsars and "bursters," over extremely short time intervals. Dr. Cominsky and her colleagues presented results from the CGRO  work at both the January 1996 meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in San Antonio and the May 1996 meeting of the AAS High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) in San Diego.
Dr. Cominsky also continued to work closely with the Stanford Particle Astrophysics group on simulating the science that is expected to result from the proposed Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST ). The GLAST  proposal is continuing to attract attention, and it is hoped that funds will soon be available to construct a prototype of the instrument.
Perhaps the most unusual new activities for Dr. Cominsky this year involved dealing with the press. She was featured in three very brief news reports, aired one week apart, on Channel 4 KRON-TV, due to the efforts of Science Editor Brian Hackney. An initial taping of her comments about the newly discovered X-ray pulsing burster led to two additional interviews about Comet Hyakutake, even though she does not work on either of these objects. However, knowing nothing about these and similar subjects did not dissuade her from undertaking the role of press officer at the HEAD meeting in San Diego. There she ran two press conferences, one featuring discoveries made by the Rossi XTE  of the fastest oscillations ever detected from neutron stars, and the other presenting new results on blazars, quasars with relativistic particle beams, which are believed to contain supermassive black holes at their cores. The fast oscillations news made the Los Angeles Times  , as well as Charles Osgood's Files on CBS. Dr. Cominsky is convinced that in this day of decreased government funding for science, it is very important to get the word out about the wonders of the universe, and she is enjoying playing the role of commentator in the hope of gaining more public support for astrophysical research.