Gamma-Ray Bursts and Magnetars: Astrophysical Connections and Probes of Fundamental Physics

This is a theoretical study about neutron stars, which are formed from the death of very massive stars that collapse and produce supernovae. Some neutron stars have very strong magnetic fields and are called "magnetars." Their extreme density makes them a great laboratory for studying fundamental physics, including the effects of Einstein's theory of general relativity. Magnetars may also have a connection to Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), which are extremely energetic explosions in the universe. The PI will simulate merging neutron stars to see if she can create black holes and GRBs. She will also explore the neutron star equation-of-state (EOS), which is a mathematical relationship between temperature, pressure, and energy. The PI will train and mentor a postdoctoral scholar and several undergraduate students, including women. The team will also carry out an outreach program with grade school children in the New York City area. The science goals will be carried out through a theoretical and computational investigation of GRBs. They will computationally investigate the regime of hyper-accretion on magnetars that might form after core-collapse of the stellar progenitor and explain the presence of precursors on emission in GRBs. They will carry out fully general relativistic simulations of the merger of binary neutron stars as a possible cause of short duration GRBs. They will explore the role of the EOS in the formation of the accretion torus and jet needed to produce the GRBs, and whether there exists EOS that can lead to black hole formation after binary merger.