RUI: Numerical Simulations of Merging Black Holes and Neutron Stars

该奖项支持加州州立大学富勒顿分校（CSUF）的一个研究小组对黑洞和中子星合并以及它们发出的引力波进行建模。黑洞和中子星的合并是高级激光干涉引力波天文台（Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory，Advanced LIGO）最有希望的引力波来源之一，而黑洞-中子星星合并是短而硬的伽马射线爆发的一个可能来源。 这项研究计划使用超级计算机数值求解爱因斯坦的广义相对论方程，i）合并黑洞，特别是在（例如与几乎以尽可能快的速度旋转的黑洞合并），以及ii）一个黑洞，几乎以尽可能快的速度旋转，与中子星星合并，在爱因斯坦第一次预言引力波存在的近一个世纪后，引力波--时空曲率的涟漪--准备打开一扇新的宇宙之窗。高级LIGO是一个由NSF支持的项目，已接近完成，并将很快开始寻找来自黑洞、中子星和其他来源（如超新星）的引力波。通过预测黑洞和中子星合并发出的引力波，该研究计划将增加Advanced LIGO的覆盖范围，并帮助我们尽可能多地了解LIGO的天文来源。通过他们在这个程序的参与，学生在CSUF，主要是本科生和西班牙裔服务机构，将学习可转移的研究和计算技能，同时发挥重要作用，准备引力波的第一次直接探测，即将发现，可能会大大改变我们对宇宙的理解。

This award supports research by a group at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) to model merging black holes and neutron stars and the gravitational waves they emit. Merging black holes and neutron stars are among the most promising sources of gravitational waves for the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO), and black hole-neutron star mergers are one possible source of short, hard gamma-ray bursts. This research program uses supercomputers to numerically solve Einstein's equations of general relativity for i) merging black holes, especially cases (such as mergers with black holes that are spinning nearly as rapidly as possible) that have not been previously explored, and ii) a black hole, spinning nearly as rapidly as possible, that merges with a neutron star, tearing the star apart.Almost a century after Einstein first predicted their existence, gravitational waves---ripples of spacetime curvature---are poised to open a new window on the universe. Advanced LIGO, an NSF-supported project, is nearing completion and will soon begin searching for gravitational waves from black holes, neutron stars, and other sources, such as supernovae. By predicting the gravitational waves emitted by merging black holes and neutron stars, this research program will increase the reach of Advanced LIGO and will help us to learn as much as possible about LIGO's astronomical sources. Through their participation in this program, students at CSUF, a primarily undergraduate- and Hispanic-serving institution, will learn transferable research and computational skills while playing important roles in preparing for the first direct detections of gravitational waves, an imminent discovery that could dramatically alter our understanding of the universe.