RIT leads project to simulate neutron star mergers
Neutron star collisions linked to gold, platinum and other heavy elements
Rochester Institute of Technology is advancing computer simulations to predict, for the first time, the complete cycle of neutron stars merging with other neutron stars or black holes. These extreme astrophysical events may be a source of heavy elements that make up the Earth and other planets, and represent the new field of multi-messenger astronomy.
The project will advance computational methods for understanding the dynamics of ejection, accretion, winds and jets in neutron star merger, and is supported by $1.5 million from NASA.
“These mergers expose the extremes of gravitational, electromagnetic and particle physics,” said Manuela Campanelli, director of RIT’s Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation. “They are some of the greatest opportunities for multi-messenger science and the combined study of bursts of light spanning across the electromagnetic spectrum and powerful gravitational wave emissions.”
Campanelli will lead the collaboration involving colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of West Virginia, and other leading scientists in binary neutron stars and black hole-neutron star merger simulations. She is also the director of RIT’s signature New Frontiers in Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics program.
“Our goal is to develop and use an integrated set of algorithms and tools to improve our understanding of the entire binary neutron star merger process from beginning to post-merger,” Campanelli said. “We are looking at the big picture—including the production of jets of gas with large concentrations of nuclear elements and strong gravitational wave signatures.”
RIT researchers will simulate electromagnetic signals and jets produced during post-merger, using the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The RIT team recently won its largest allocation time (the equivalent of 163.2 million central processing units) on NCSA’ Blue Waters for a corollary study involving magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accreting supermassive black holes. The Astrophysical Journal, on Oct. 2, published a related study led by RIT.
Recommended News
-
November 7, 2024
![a man in a red fedora and plaid shirt sits on a curb in a city setting.]()
Open source opens doors at Red Hat
As a Fedora community architect, Justin Flory wears many hats. He is a community liaison, accountant, and project manager—all rolled into one.
-
November 6, 2024
![four people sit next to each other at a table discussing staff architechture.]()
Staff Career Architecture Project will help staff explore career pathways
Upon implementation in about 18 months, the large-scale project, which launched in summer 2024, will offer staff members and their managers a clear framework for how jobs, career levels, and pathways for growth are structured across the university.
-
November 4, 2024
![a professor works with students at the digital anatomy board.]()
Digital anatomy table gives RIT’s physician assistant BS/MS program a high-tech teaching tool
A digital anatomy table programmed with dynamic medical simulations is changing how RIT physician assistant students learn about the human body. Three-dimensional simulations modeled on real cadavers allow students to understand how the body functions as a system and deteriorates from disease.
-
November 4, 2024
![Five Courtyard members are shown in a group photo holding instruments in front of an orange background.]()
Students form band after chance meeting on campus
A chance encounter on the RIT campus has resulted in a student band forming, playing gigs, and working on an album. It’s a testament to the performing arts ecosystem at RIT, and how easy it can be to find other students who share the same passion for performing arts.
