WoU-MMA: Research in Black Hole Physics and Relativistic Astrophysics

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This award supports research in relativity and relativistic astrophysics and it addresses the priority areas of NSF's "Windows on the Universe" Big Idea. A large component of the research is aimed at the numerical solution of Einstein's equations by supercomputer simulations. The proposed research will have a broad impact on our understanding of fundamental physics. The first real tests of general relativity in the strong field regime of black holes are just beginning to occur with experiments like LIGO. To confront theory with observation, one must be able to calculate what the theory predicts. Are the black holes that LIGO observes the black holes predicted by Einstein's theory? The research will have an impact on astronomy. Mergers of binary systems containing neutron stars can lead to the emission of electromagnetic and neutrino signals, as well as gravitational waves. In one spectacular case so far, such an event has been detected by LIGO with gravitational waves, and also all across the electromagnetic spectrum. As more of these events are seen, better simulations are needed to help determine the parameters of these binaries and the characteristics of these signals (timescale, strength, etc.). The research will also have an impact on the broader area of computational science. The computational techniques to be developed here can be used to solve problems in many other areas, including fluid dynamics, meteorology, seismology, and astrophysics. Young researchers trained in these techniques are in great demand. Relativity and black holes continue to fascinate the public and allow science to be communicated broadly. Movies of simulations produced by the investigators will continue to provide public outreach.To solve Einstein's equations, the investigators will use high-accuracy computational techniques suited to the mathematical properties of the equations. These methods solve the equations at a much smaller computational cost than other techniques. One focus is to track the coalescence and merger of binary black hole systems and to calculate the gravitational waveform emitted by such processes. A second focus of the research is to study the coalescence and merger of binary systems containing a neutron star and a black hole, or two neutron stars. The investigators will include ever more realistic descriptions of the microphysics in the simulations, such as the equation of state of nuclear matter, neutrino effects,and magnetic fields. The investigators will also develop a new code for computational astrophysics that is designed to take advantage of upcoming exascale machines in a way that current codes cannot. This new code will be based on discontinuous Galerkin methods and task-based parallelism. It will provide transformative capabilities not only for numerical relativity, but for many problems in computational astrophysics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.