Astrophysical Transients and Compact Objects

天体物理瞬变和致密天体

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03463
• 负责人: Fernandez, Rodrigo
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=762452
• 关键词: Astrophysical; Transients; Compact; Objects

My research program aims to understand the physics of explosive transient events related to black holes and neutron stars, such as neutron star mergers or supernovae from massive stars. These explosions operate in extreme regimes of physics that are not achievable in laboratories on Earth, and hence connect to frontier questions such as the origin of heavy elements in the universe, the properties of matter at high densities, physics in strong gravity and/or magnetic fields, and the properties of neutrinos. A thorough understanding of these explosions is necessary for maximizing the scientific return of observational or experimental facilities including gravitational wave observatories, surveys of transients in optical or infrared light, neutrino detectors applicable to supernovae, or heavy ion accelerators. The complexity of the physics involved requires intensive computational modelling to obtain useful insights. The long-term goal of the research program is to improve our theoretical understanding of these cosmic explosions through scientific computing, thereby producing more reliable observational predictions that allow using these events as probes of extreme physics. My work thus far - supported in part with Discovery Grant funds - has been a combination of predictive and interpretative. My research group has made important contributions to our understanding of how mass is ejected from neutron star mergers. This mass ejection is crucial for the production of electromagnetic emission. We make these advances by carrying out computational fluid dynamic simulations of these systems that also include other complex physics such as nuclear reactions, neutrino processes, or the effects of general relativity. My group has also produced ground-breaking simulations of black hole formation from massive stars that reach the end of their life, generating for the first time observational predictions for all types of massive pre-supernova progenitor star. For the next 5 years, I propose to deepen our understanding of these explosions using Canada's most powerful supercomputers. I plan to train 4 graduate students, one postdoctoral fellow, as well as several summer undergraduates. These highly-qualified personnel will gain advanced high-performance computing training, as well as general problem solving skills, domain-specific knowledge, and scientific communication skills, equipping them well for both academic or industrial research careers. The results of my proposed program will impact the international community of observational astronomers, by generating improved predictions to be confronted with observations, thereby enabling the use of these events as cosmic laboratories. Furthermore, my work will complement that of an emerging domestic community of transient observers, and well established communities of nuclear astrophysicists and neutrino experimentalists in Canada.

我的研究项目旨在了解与黑洞和中子星有关的爆炸瞬变事件的物理学，例如中子星星合并或来自大质量恒星的超新星。这些爆炸是在地球实验室无法实现的极端物理条件下进行的，因此与宇宙中重元素的起源，高密度物质的性质，强引力和/或磁场中的物理学以及中微子的性质等前沿问题有关。彻底了解这些爆炸是必要的，以最大限度地提高科学回报的观测或实验设施，包括引力波天文台，调查瞬态在光学或红外光，中微子探测器适用于超新星，或重离子加速器。所涉及的物理学的复杂性需要密集的计算建模，以获得有用的见解。该研究计划的长期目标是通过科学计算提高我们对这些宇宙爆炸的理论理解，从而产生更可靠的观测预测，允许将这些事件用作极端物理学的探测器。到目前为止，我的工作-部分由探索基金资助-一直是预测和解释的结合。我的研究小组对我们理解中子星星合并如何喷射出质量做出了重要贡献。这种质量喷射对于电磁辐射的产生至关重要。我们通过对这些系统进行计算流体动力学模拟来取得这些进展，这些系统还包括其他复杂的物理学，如核反应，中微子过程或广义相对论的影响。我的团队还对达到生命尽头的大质量恒星形成黑洞进行了开创性的模拟，首次对所有类型的大质量前超新星祖星星进行了观测预测。在接下来的5年里，我建议使用加拿大最强大的超级计算机来加深我们对这些爆炸的理解。我计划培养4名研究生，一名博士后，以及几名暑期本科生。这些高素质的人员将获得先进的高性能计算培训，以及一般问题解决技能，特定领域的知识和科学沟通技巧，为他们的学术或工业研究生涯做好准备。 我提出的计划的结果将影响国际观测天文学家，通过产生改进的预测来面对观测，从而使这些事件能够作为宇宙实验室使用。此外，我的工作将补充一个新兴的国内社区的瞬态观察员，以及在加拿大的核天体物理学家和中微子实验学家的成熟社区。