Quark Matter in Neutron Star Mergers

从核夸克物质到非禁闭夸克物质的一级相变的存在和位置是粒子物理学中最令人兴奋的悬而未决的问题之一。随着2017年LIGO和室女座探测器发现双中子星合并产生的引力波，出现了研究致密物质的全新方法。未来的第三代引力波探测器，如计划中的欧洲爱因斯坦望远镜(ET)，将不仅能够测量恒星的灵感，而且能够测量恒星的实际合并。只有通过改进数值模拟中实现的微观物理，我们才能解码和约束印在合并信号中的粒子物理控制力，并释放ET的全部潜力。这包括对夸克物质中化学平衡和解禁闭的微观物理进行适当的处理。在以往的工作中，弱相互作用的影响被忽略了，忽略了体粘滞和相变耗散等重要的影响。QUARKSTAR的目标是调查、计算和提供所有必要的微观物理，以便正确处理夸克物质的合并。主要的焦点是以一种可以被合并社区使用并在未来的模拟中实施的方式来提供结果。这可能会为发现致密物质中的夸克物质开辟一条全新的途径。作为中子星合并中微观物理、输运和弱相互作用过程的专家，亚历山大·哈伯博士将与南安普顿尼尔斯·安德森教授的数值广义相对论小组合作。这一理想的位置使哈伯博士能够为他未来的学术生涯接受所有相关的培训，同时展示从微观物理到广义相对论的理想组合，这些知识是解决中子星合并中的夸克物质和去禁闭问题所必需的。

The existence and location of a first order phase transition from nuclear to deconfined quark matter are one of particle physics's mostexciting unanswered questions. With the discovery of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star merger in 2017 from the LIGOand VIRGO detectors, entirely new ways of investigating dense matter have emerged. Future third-generation gravitational-wavedetectors like the planned Einstein Telescope (ET) in Europe will be able to not only measure the inspiral but the actual merger of thestars. Only by improving the microscopic physics implemented in numerical simulations, we will be able to decode and constrain thegoverning forces of particle physics imprinted in the merger signal and unlock ET's full potential. This includes a proper treatment ofthe microscopic physics of chemical equilibration and deconfinement in quark matter. In previous works, the effects of the weakinteraction have been ignored, which dismisses important effects like bulk viscosity and phase conversion dissipation. The aim ofQUARKSTAR is to investigate, compute and provide all the necessary microscopic physics for the proper treatment of quark matter inmergers. The main focus is to provide the results in a way that they can be used by the merger community and implemented in futuresimulations. This might open a completely new pathway to the discovery of quark matter in dense matter.As an expert on microscopic physics, transport, and weak interaction processes in neutron star mergers, Dr. Alexander Haber will joinforces with the numerical general relativity group of Prof. Nils Andersson in Southampton. This ideal placement allows Dr. Haber toreceive all relevant training for his future academic career while presenting the ideal combination of knowledge from microscopicphysics to general relativity necessary to tackle the question of quark matter and deconfinement in neutron star mergers.