NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute for FY 2012 in Japan

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This action funds Jia Liu of Columbia University to conduct a research project, entitled "Matching theory with observations for neutron stars," during the summer of 2012 at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Sagamihara, Kanagawa. The host scientist is Ken Ebisawa.The Intellectual Merit of the research project lies in generating new knowledge about neutron stars. A neutron star is a type of stellar remnant thought to result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star. The center of a neutron star contains the densest matter in the universe. Knowing the mass and size of the center would be very useful for many areas of physics. This research focuses on a property of accreting neutron stars, that they show a sudden increase in x-ray luminosity every few hours to days, to compare simulation results from a mathematical model with actual data from space telescopes. Broader Impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce.