CAREER: Nuclear Microphysics of Neutron Stars, Core-Collapse Supernovae, and Compact Object Mergers

核物质的结构、相和动力学是回答核物理和天体物理学界面上基本问题的关键：在极端的天体物理环境中，比铁重的稳定元素是如何合成的？宇宙中可观测物质的组成和性质是什么？什么是最有希望的可探测引力波的天文来源？该项目将整合研究和教育，同时开发在核心坍缩超新星、原中子星和双中子星星合并中遇到的超热和超密度物质的新理论模型。该项目还将为稀有同位素束流设施的实验计划提供理论支持。因此，该项目还将提供新的机会，通过综合讲座和竞赛系列，向德克萨斯州布拉索斯山谷的高中生传播核物理和核天体物理方面令人兴奋的前沿研究进展。一个主要的长期目标是了解强核力如何塑造高能天体物理系统的结构，演化和可观测的排放，如核心坍缩超新星，中子星和双中子星星合并。为了支持这一努力，该项目的目标是开发基于强相互作用的低能有效场理论的第一个热而致密的富中子物质的微观模型。核热力学状态方程，支配中子星星结构以及超新星和中子星星合并的流体动力学演化，将在数值模拟所需的条件范围内进行计算。这将使来自超新星和中子星星合并的电磁波、中微子和引力波信号的预测更加可靠。将计算核物质中的核子单粒子势，并以适合于超新星中中微子驱动风和中子星星合并中潮汐喷射物质的核合成研究的形式进行参数化。最后，将进行有限温度下稀中子物质的量子蒙特卡罗模拟，以研究中子配对对原中子星中的输运和冷却现象的影响。

The structure, phases, and dynamics of nuclear matter are key to answering fundamental questions at the interface of nuclear physics and astrophysics: How are the stable elements heavier than iron synthesized in extreme astrophysical environments? What is the composition and nature of the densest observable matter in the universe? What are the most promising astronomical sources of detectable gravitational waves? This project will integrate research and education while developing new theoretical models of the ultra-hot and ultra-dense matter encountered in core-collapse supernovae, proto-neutron stars, and binary neutron star mergers. The project will also provide theoretical support for the experimental program at rare-isotope beam facilities. As such, this project will also provide new opportunities to disseminate exciting forefront research developments in nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics to high school students in the Texas Brazos Valley through an integrated lecture and competition series. A major long-term goal is to understand how the strong nuclear force shapes the structure, evolution, and observable emissions of high-energy astrophysical systems, such as core-collapse supernovae, neutron stars, and binary neutron star mergers. To support this effort, this project aims to develop the first microscopic models of hot and dense neutron-rich matter based on the low-energy effective field theory of strong interactions. The nuclear thermodynamic equation of state, governing neutron star structure as well as the hydrodynamic evolution of supernovae and neutron star mergers, will be calculated across the range of conditions needed for numerical simulations. This will enable more reliable predictions for the electromagnetic, neutrino, and gravitational wave signals from supernovae and neutron star mergers. The nucleon single-particle potential in nuclear matter will be computed and parametrized in a form suitable for nucleosynthesis studies of neutrino-driven winds in supernovae and the tidally ejected matter in neutron star mergers. Finally, quantum Monte Carlo simulations of dilute neutron matter at finite temperature will be carried out in order to investigate the effect of neutron pairing on transport and cooling phenomena in proto-neutron stars.