WoU-MMA: Multiple Approaches to Multi-Messenger Astronomy

GW170817是天文学家给两颗中子星的合并起的名字，通过引力波警报器、相关的伽马射线暴和所有波长的光来观测，标志着时域多信使天文学黄金时代的开始。通过这一发现，我们对引力、核物理、最重元素的起源和宇宙学的认识都得到了极大的扩展。加州大学圣克鲁斯分校（UCSC）的一个研究小组在GW170817的发现中发挥了重要作用，他们将领导一个国际项目，研究电磁（EM）与引力波（GW）事件的对应关系。该提案解决的最重要问题是：新兴市场与GW事件对应的是什么？像中子星和黑洞这样的致密天体合并的人口统计学特征是什么？什么环境会提高中子星合并的速率？这些事件产生和排除了哪些元素？天文学家如何才能最好地利用所有GW和EM数据与先进的理论模型来改进这些问题的答案？该项目将支持两名加州大学圣迭戈分校的研究生，一名从事望远镜观测工作，另一名从事理论建模和数值模拟。该项目还将致力于增加历史上被边缘化群体成员在天体物理学领域的参与，促进科学家和学生在视觉艺术和数字媒体领域的交叉培训，并让数十名高中生直接参与我们的研究。主要的科学目标是：(1)发现和表征与引力波（GW）事件相对应的新电磁（EM），(2)建立新的理论模型，遵循从初始事件的流体动力学到EM发射的合并过程，(3)研究致密物体合并的人口统计学，以及(4)将数据和理论结合起来理解r过程核合成的物理学。到该项目结束时，研究人员希望将GW事件的EM对应数量从一个增加到可能超过十个。它们将描述单个事件和更大数量的致密天体合并。他们将改进理论模型，迭代改进模型和数据，并使用数据、模型和先进的统计技术来测量局部宇宙膨胀率。这个奖项推进了“宇宙大创意之窗”的目标。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

GW170817 was the name given by astronomers to the merger of two neutron stars witnessed through its gravitational wave siren, an associated gamma-ray burst, and its glow at all wavelengths of light, marking the beginning of a golden age in time-domain multi-messenger astronomy. Through this discovery, our knowledge of gravity, nuclear physics, the origin of the heaviest elements, and cosmology were all dramatically expanded. A research team at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), which was instrumental in the discovery of GW170817, will lead an international program to research electromagnetic (EM) counterparts to gravitational wave (GW) events. The overriding questions addressed by this proposal are: What are the EM counterparts to GW events? What are the demographics of the mergers of compact astrophysical objects like neutron stars and black holes? What environments produce an enhanced rate of neutron-star mergers? What elements are generated and expelled by these events? How can astronomers best use all GW and EM data with advanced theoretical models to improve the answers to these questions and more? This project will support two UCSC graduate students, one in observational work from telescopes, and the other in theoretical modeling and numerical simulations. The program will also work to increase participation of members of historically marginalized groups in astrophysics, cross-fertilize the training of scientists and students in the visual arts and digital media, and engage dozens of high school students directly in our research.The main scientific goals are to (1) discover and characterize new electromagnetic (EM) counterparts to gravitational wave (GW) events, (2) produce new theoretical models that follow the merger process from hydrodynamics of the initial event to EM emission, (3) study the demographics of compact-object mergers, and (4) combine data and theory to understand the physics of r-process nucleosynthesis. By the end of this project, the investigators expect to increase the number of EM counterparts of GW events from one to potentially more than ten. They will characterize individual events and the larger population of compact-object mergers. They will improve theoretical models, iteratively improving models and data and use the data, models, and advanced statistical techniques to measure the local cosmic expansion rate. This award advances the goals of the Windows on the Universe Big Idea.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.