Neutron stars: probing physics at the extreme

我的研究贯穿着一个总的主题：我们对天体物理现象和基础物理学的理解是如何联系起来的。中子星提供了一个实验室来测试我们对自然的极端认识。中子星的磁场、密度和压力超过地球上产生的磁场、密度和压力十亿倍以上。中子星提供了一个独特的机会来推断和验证我们关于物质、能量及其相互作用的理论。我最近和未来的研究计划侧重于这些和相关对象的理论和观察理解。中子星是我们在宇宙中可以直接观测到的致密物体-黑洞的中心奇点密度更大，但它隐藏在事件视界后面，无法观测。在一颗大质量星星生命的末期，它的核心由大约一到两个太阳质量组成，坍缩成一个半径约为10公里的球体，中子星星的平均密度为1 e 15 g/cc，大于原子核的密度。在坍缩期间，核心的磁场增强，通常达到1 e12 G，大约10%的时间达到1 e15 G（形成磁星-这部分是我的团队最近的结果）。这些物体的密度极高的核心中物质的相位超出了我们目前的知识，探测它是研究中子星的目标之一。在地核之上是一层亚核密度物质的地壳（约1公里厚）。这种材料的相是已知的，但它的许多性质尚未确定。这种密度较低的物质调节着能量从核心到表面的转移，产生了许多中子星的现象。 该研究计划由几个关键项目组成，每个项目都直接探索基础物理学的不同领域，或者在解释观测数据以约束基础物理过程方面提供关键步骤。 该计划将增加我们对这些令人兴奋的物体和基本物理的理解，同时支持加拿大下一代高素质人员在高性能计算方面的培训，为他们提供各种行业和科学研究所需的技能。

A general theme threads my research: how is our understanding of astrophysical phenomena and fundamental physics connected. Neutron stars provide a laboratory to test our knowledge of nature at the extreme. The magnetic fields, densities and pressures of neutron stars exceed those produced on Earth more than a billion-fold. Neutron stars provide a unique opportunity to extrapolate and verify our theories of matter, energy and their interaction. My recent and future research program focusses on the theoretical and observational understanding of these and related objects. Neutron stars are the densest objects that we can directly observe in the universe --- the central singularity of a black hole is denser but it is hidden behind an event horizon and unobservable. At the end of a massive star's life, its core comprising of about one to two solar masses collapses to a sphere about ten kilometers in radius, the neutron star with a mean density of 1e15 g/cc, greater than the density of atomic nuclei. During the collapse the magnetic field of the core intensifies reaching 1e12 G typically and up to 1e15 G about ten percent of the time (forming a magnetar - this fraction is a recent result from my group). The phase of matter within the extremely dense cores of these objects lies beyond our current knowledge, and probing it is one goal of studying neutron stars. Above the core lies a crust (about 1 km thick) of material at subnuclear density. The phase of this material is known, but many of its properties have not yet been determined. This lower density material regulates the transfer of energy from the core to the surface, generating much of the phenomenology of neutron stars. The research program consists of several key projects, each probing a different regime of fundamental physics directly or providing a crucial step in the interpretation of observational data to constrain the underlying physical processes. The program will increase our understanding of both these exciting objects and basic physics while supporting the training of Canada's next generation of highly qualified personal in high performance computing, giving them the skills necessary for various industries as well as scientific research.