Collaborative Research: Understanding Compact Binary Star Formation with the First Gravitational Wave Detections

LIGO天文台首次探测到的引力波（GW）来自两个黑洞（BH）的碰撞，黑洞被认为是一种紧凑的双星。这为天文学打开了一扇新的窗口，通过对合并黑洞（最能弯曲空间和时间的物体）的研究，可以更深入地理解相对论的物理原理。由于这些相互作用是如此复杂，需要强大的计算机模拟来解释科学。密西西比大学和宾夕法尼亚州立大学的研究小组将合作开发和运行计算机模型，以更好地了解紧凑双星系统的形成和发展，并更有效地利用引力波的丰富信息来探测这些系统。一个相关的工作是开发未来使用GW来研究暗物质的方法。研究小组还将通过向密西西比州和宾夕法尼亚州经济弱势社区的学童和成年公民提供天文学讲座、示范和实践活动来提高科学素养。研究人员将开展两个密切相关的项目来模拟致密双星系统的引力波天体物理学。第一个项目关注的是可以从引力波信号的特征特征中提取的天体物理信息，这些特征特征是由于合并黑洞双星的自旋和轨道进动而产生的。该团队将把自旋动力学引入紧凑的双星演化模型，并跟踪黑洞双星从形成到合并的演化过程，包括初始超新星爆发、质量传递和自旋轨道耦合等效应。这项工作的一个分支是通过其可能的GW特征来研究超轻玻色子暗物质的边界。第二个项目将涉及从引力波观测目录中推断紧凑型双星群模型。该团队将建立一个进化模型的数据库，并努力区分不同模型的预测观测结果。目标包括了解黑洞质量、自旋和合并速率的分布以及随机GW背景的性质。主要研究人员将指导一名研究生和一名博士后研究人员，并计划组织两次关于强重力和二元动力学的研讨会，并在国际研究生院就与该提案相关的工作进行演讲。

The first detection of gravitational waves (GW) by the LIGO observatory was from the collision of two black holes (BH), which are considered a type of compact binary stars. This has opened up a new window in astronomy, enabling a deeper understanding of the physics of relativity through the study of merging BHs, the objects that bend space and time the most. Since these interactions are so complicated, powerful computer simulations are needed to interpret the science. A collaboration between research groups at the University of Mississippi and Pennsylvania State University will develop and run computer models to better understand the formation and development of compact binary star systems and to more effectively use the rich information from gravitational waves to probe these systems. A related effort is the development of methods to use GW in the future to study dark matter. The research team will also promote scientific literacy by providing astronomy lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on activities to school children and adult citizenry in economically disadvantaged communities in the state of Mississippi and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The investigators will carry out two closely related projects to model the gravitational wave astrophysics of compact binary systems. The first project concerns the astrophysical information that can be extracted from the characteristic signature imposed on a gravitational wave signal due to the spin and the orbital precession of coalescing black hole binaries. The team will introduce spin dynamics into compact binary evolution models and track the evolution of BH binaries from formation through merger, including effects such as an initial supernova kick, mass transfer and spin-orbit coupling. An offshoot of this work is to investigate bounds on ultra-light bosonic dark matter though its possible GW signature. The second project will involve inferring compact binary population models from a catalog of gravitational wave observations. The team will put together a database of evolutionary models and work to distinguish between the predicted observables of the various models. Goals include understanding the distribution of BH masses, spins, and merger rates and the properties of the stochastic GW background. The principal investigators will mentor a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher and plan to organize two workshops on strong gravity and binary dynamics and to lecture at international graduate schools on work related to the proposal.