General Relativistic, Radiative Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Compact Binary Mergers

Zachariah Etienne博士被授予美国国家科学基金会天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，在伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校（UIUC）开展研究和教育项目。Etienne博士将在气体环境中对黑洞-黑洞双子星（BHBH）合并，以及中子星-中子星（NSNS），黑洞-中子星（BHNS）和白矮星-中子星（WDNS）合并进行全面的广义相对论模拟。为了真实地模拟这些系统，PI将开发大规模并行的尖端仿真软件，首次结合新的物理学，如现实状态方程、辐射输运、磁流体动力学和黑洞自旋。NSNS和BHNS双星合并是最有希望为伽马射线爆发提供能量的候选者。此外，这些紧密双星合并的电磁辐射特征，以及气体环境中的双星黑洞，都有可能被传统望远镜探测到，比如费米伽玛射线太空望远镜、哈勃太空望远镜和拟议中的大型综合巡天望远镜等。艾蒂安还将领导一年一度的七所学校巡回演讲。艾蒂安博士的讲座将分为两个层次——一个是为普通物理科学课程设计的，另一个是为物理和高级物理课程设计的。讲座将辅以电脑生成的艾蒂安博士紧凑双星合并模拟的电影，由PI与伊利诺伊数值相对论小组的本科生研究经验可视化小组合作制作。与伊利诺伊大学伊利诺伊分校物理合作项目和他的巡回演讲一起，PI将开发一个网站，为学生和老师提供一个互动的，多个“迷你课程”介绍他的研究。

Dr. Zachariah Etienne is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Dr. Etienne will perform fully general relativistic simulations of black hole-black hole binary (BHBH) mergers in gaseous environments, as well as binary neutron star-neutron star (NSNS), black hole-neutron star (BHNS), and white dwarf-neutron star (WDNS) mergers. To model these systems realistically, the PI will develop massively parallel, cutting-edge simulation software, incorporating new physics for the first time, such as realistic equations of state, radiation transport, magnetohydrodynamics, and black hole spin. NSNS and BHNS binary mergers are among the most promising candidates for powering gamma-ray bursts. Moreover, electromagnetic radiation signatures of these compact binary mergers, as well as binary black holes in gaseous environments, are potentially detectable by conventional telescopes, such as the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the proposed Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, among others.Dr. Etienne will also spearhead an annual seven-school lecture tour. Dr. Etienne's lectures will be prepared on two levels--one designed for general physical science classes and the other for physics and advanced-placement physics courses. The lectures will be supplemented by computer-generated movies of Dr. Etienne's compact binary merger simulations, prepared by the PI in cooperation with the Illinois numerical relativity group's Research Experience for Undergraduates visualization team. In conjunction with the UIUC Physics Illinois Partnership Program and his lecture tour, the PI will develop a website that provides an interactive, multiple "mini-lesson" introduction to his research for students and teachers.