Nuclear physics in the Multi-messenger era

癌症治疗所需的同位素（如铊、铟）、能源生产所需的同位素（如铀、钚）和贵金属（如黄金）在地球上几乎找不到。所有这些元素都是在超新星爆炸中合成的——大质量恒星的死亡。爆炸中喷出的物质形成了我们的星球。恒星死亡后留下的是中子星或黑洞，这些被称为致密天体。中子星是宇宙中密度最大的物体（密度达到109- 1015g /cm3），唯一与这些恒星密度相同的系统是原子核。因此，对超新星、黑洞吸积盘和中子星合并的研究让我们了解了未知的核力。反之亦然，通过在实验室或通过理论模型学习原子核，我们了解了恒星爆炸的机制，以及我们在紧密物体形成或相互融合时获得的天文观测结果。除了处理新元素外，超新星和中子星合并还会发出几种信号，例如电磁波、引力波和中微子。科学家们开发了精密的天文台来记录这些信号。这些数据被统称为“多信使”。这些观察结果以及我们从这些事件发生的过程中得到的解释与元素的合成、能量的产生以及大质量恒星的生命死亡循环密切相关。理解这些现象所需的物理理论基础是核物理学和广义相对论。该提案通过开发一个新的理论框架来研究极端条件下的核力和中微子发射，包括高密度、高温和强重力，解决了核物理学中阻碍我们理解重元素合成的知识空白。本课组将通过数值模拟来预测中子星壳在不同观测波段的元素丰度和信号，以及中子星壳的输运特性。理论上的预测能力，以及对这些现象的理解，将使未来的科学家能够在实验室中操纵或重现类似的条件，以开发各种技术应用，如生产元素和新能源。

Isotopes needed for cancer therapy (e.g., Thalium, Indium), energy generation (e.g., Uranium, Plutonium), and precious metals like Gold are scarcely found on Earth. All these elements were synthesized during a supernova explosion-the death of a massive star. The matter expelled during the explosion formed our planet. What remains of the star following its death is a neutron star or a black hole, these are known as compact objects. Neutron stars are the densest objects in the Universe (densities reach 109-1015 g/cm3) with the only other system as dense as these stars being the atomic nucleus. Thus studying supernovae, black hole accretion disks and neutron-star mergers teaches us about the still unknown nuclear force. Vice-versa by learning about the nucleus in the lab or through theoretical models teaches us about the mechanisms of stellar explosions and the astronomical observations we obtain when compact objects are formed or merge with each other. Besides processing new elements supernovae and neutron star mergers emit several signals, e.g. electromagnetic and gravitational waves and neutrinos. Scientists have developed sophisticated observatories to record these signals. These data are known collectively as "multi-messengers". These observations and the interpretation we get from how these events happen is deeply connected to the synthesis of elements, energy generation, and the life-death circle of massive stars. The physical theoretical ground required for understanding these phenomena lies on nuclear physics and general relativity.  This proposal addresses knowledge gaps in nuclear physics that are preventing our understanding of heavy element synthesis by developing a new theoretical framework to study nuclear forces and neutrino emissions under extreme conditions, including high density, temperature and strong gravity. Our group will perform numerical simulations to predict element abundances and signals in various observational bands, and transport properties of neutron star crusts. The theoretical predictive power, and understanding of the phenomena, will allow future scientists to manipulate or reproduce similar conditions in the lab to develop diverse technological applications like production of elements and new sources of energy.