Nuclear physics in the Multi-messenger era

癌症治疗所需的同位素(如铀、铟)、能源生产所需的同位素(如铀、钚)以及黄金等贵金属在地球上几乎找不到。所有这些元素都是在一次超新星爆炸--一颗大质量恒星死亡--期间合成的。爆炸中排出的物质形成了我们的星球。恒星消亡后留下的是中子星或黑洞，它们被称为致密天体。中子星是宇宙中密度最高的天体(密度达到109-1015克/厘米~3)，唯一一个密度与这些恒星一样高的系统是原子核。因此，研究超新星、黑洞吸积盘和中子星合并让我们了解了仍然未知的核力。反之亦然，通过在实验室或通过理论模型了解原子核，我们可以了解恒星爆炸的机制，以及当致密天体形成或相互融合时我们获得的天文观测结果。除了处理新的元素外，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。科学家们已经开发出精密的天文台来记录这些信号。这些数据统称为“多信使”。这些观测和我们从这些事件如何发生得到的解释与元素的合成、能量的产生和大质量恒星的生死圈密切相关。理解这些现象所需的物理理论基础是核物理和广义相对论。这一提议旨在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、温度和强重力条件下的核力和中微子发射，以解决阻碍我们理解重元素合成的核物理知识空白。我们小组将进行数值模拟，以预测不同观测波段的元素丰度和信号，以及中子星地壳的输运性质。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.