Nuclear Theory In The Age Of Multimessenger Astronomy

Over the last decade, astrophysical observations of neutron stars — both as isolated and binary sources — have paved the way for a deeper understanding of the structure and dynamics of matter beyond nuclear saturation density. The mapping between astrophysical observations and models of dense matter based on microscopic dynamics has been poorly investigated so far. However, the increased accuracy of present and forthcoming observations may be instrumental in resolving the degeneracy between the predictions of different equations of state. Astrophysical and laboratory probes have the potential to paint to a new coherent picture of nuclear matter — and, more generally, strong interactions — over the widest range of densities occurring in the Universe. This book provides a self-contained account of neutron star properties, microscopic nuclear dynamics and the recent observational developments in multimessenger astronomy. It also discusses the unprecedented possibilities to shed light on long standing and fundamental issues, such as the validity of the description of matter in terms of pointlike baryons and leptons and the appearance of deconfined quarks in the high density regime. It will be of interest to researchers and advanced PhD students working in the fields of Astrophysics, Gravitational Physics, Nuclear Physics and Particle Physics. Key Features: Reviews state-of-the-art theoretical and experimental developments Self-contained and cross-disciplinary While being devoted to a very lively and fast developing field, the book fundamentally addresses methodological issues. Therefore, it will not be subject to fast obsolescence. Omar Benhar is an INFN Emeritus Research Director, and has been teaching Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Electrodynamics and Structure of Compact Stars at “Sapienza” University of Rome for over twenty years. He has worked extensively in the United States, and since 2013 has served as an adjunct professor at the Center for Neutrino Physics of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prof. Benhar has authored or co-authored three textbooks on Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Gauge Theories, and Structure and Dynamics of Compact Stars, and published more than one hundred scientific papers on the theory of many-particle systems, the structure of compact stars and the electroweak interactions of nuclei. Alessandro Lovato is a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory and an INFN researcher in Trento. His research in theoretical nuclear physics focuses on consistently modeling the self-emerging properties of atomic nuclei and neutron-star matter in terms of the microscopic interactions among the constituent protons and neutrons. He has co-authored more than eighty scientific publications on the theory of many-particle systems, the structure of compact stars, and the electroweak interactions of nuclei. He is at the forefront of high-performance computing applied to solving the quantum many-body problem. Andrea Maselli is an Associate Professor at the Gran Sasso Science Institute, in L’Aquila, where he teaches Gravitation and Cosmology and Physics of Black Hole. His research focuses on strong gravity, which plays a crucial role in many astrophysical phenomena involving black hole and neutron stars, representing natural laboratories to test fundamental physics. Prof. Maselli has co-authored more than eighty scientific papers on the modelling of black holes and neutron stars in General Relativity and extension thereof, their gravitational wave emission, and on tests of gravity in the strong filed regime. He is active in various collaborations aimed at developing next generation of gravitational wave detectors, such as the LISA satellite, the Einstein Telescope, and the Lunar Gravitational Wave Antenna. Francesco Pannarale is an Associate Professor at “Sapienza” Univeristy of Rome, where he teaches Gravitational Waves, Compact Objects and Black Holes, Computing Methods for Physics, and Electromagnetism. His research interests are in gravitational-wave physics and multimessenger astronomy, and they range from modelling compact binary sources to data analysis. He has co-authored over one hundred and eighty scientific publications and was at the forefront of the joint observation of GW170817 and GRB 170817A. He is currently serving as co-chair of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Data Analysis Council.

Over the last decade, astrophysical observations of neutron stars — both as isolated and binary sources — have paved the way for a deeper understanding of the structure and dynamics of matter beyond nuclear saturation density. The mapping between astrophysical observations and models of dense matter based on microscopic dynamics has been poorly investigated so far. However, the increased accuracy of present and forthcoming observations may be instrumental in resolving the degeneracy between the predictions of different equations of state. Astrophysical and laboratory probes have the potential to paint to a new coherent picture of nuclear matter — and, more generally, strong interactions — over the widest range of densities occurring in the Universe. This book provides a self-contained account of neutron star properties, microscopic nuclear dynamics and the recent observational developments in multimessenger astronomy. It also discusses the unprecedented possibilities to shed light on long standing and fundamental issues, such as the validity of the description of matter in terms of pointlike baryons and leptons and the appearance of deconfined quarks in the high density regime. It will be of interest to researchers and advanced PhD students working in the fields of Astrophysics, Gravitational Physics, Nuclear Physics and Particle Physics. Key Features: Reviews state-of-the-art theoretical and experimental developments Self-contained and cross-disciplinary While being devoted to a very lively and fast developing field, the book fundamentally addresses methodological issues. Therefore, it will not be subject to fast obsolescence. Omar Benhar is an INFN Emeritus Research Director, and has been teaching Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Electrodynamics and Structure of Compact Stars at “Sapienza” University of Rome for over twenty years. He has worked extensively in the United States, and since 2013 has served as an adjunct professor at the Center for Neutrino Physics of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prof. Benhar has authored or co-authored three textbooks on Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Gauge Theories, and Structure and Dynamics of Compact Stars, and published more than one hundred scientific papers on the theory of many-particle systems, the structure of compact stars and the electroweak interactions of nuclei. Alessandro Lovato is a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory and an INFN researcher in Trento. His research in theoretical nuclear physics focuses on consistently modeling the self-emerging properties of atomic nuclei and neutron-star matter in terms of the microscopic interactions among the constituent protons and neutrons. He has co-authored more than eighty scientific publications on the theory of many-particle systems, the structure of compact stars, and the electroweak interactions of nuclei. He is at the forefront of high-performance computing applied to solving the quantum many-body problem. Andrea Maselli is an Associate Professor at the Gran Sasso Science Institute, in L’Aquila, where he teaches Gravitation and Cosmology and Physics of Black Hole. His research focuses on strong gravity, which plays a crucial role in many astrophysical phenomena involving black hole and neutron stars, representing natural laboratories to test fundamental physics. Prof. Maselli has co-authored more than eighty scientific papers on the modelling of black holes and neutron stars in General Relativity and extension thereof, their gravitational wave emission, and on tests of gravity in the strong filed regime. He is active in various collaborations aimed at developing next generation of gravitational wave detectors, such as the LISA satellite, the Einstein Telescope, and the Lunar Gravitational Wave Antenna. Francesco Pannarale is an Associate Professor at “Sapienza” Univeristy of Rome, where he teaches Gravitational Waves, Compact Objects and Black Holes, Computing Methods for Physics, and Electromagnetism. His research interests are in gravitational-wave physics and multimessenger astronomy, and they range from modelling compact binary sources to data analysis. He has co-authored over one hundred and eighty scientific publications and was at the forefront of the joint observation of GW170817 and GRB 170817A. He is currently serving as co-chair of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Data Analysis Council.

Dramatic progress has been made in all branches of physics since the National Research Council's 1986 decadal survey of the field. The Physics in a New Era series explores these advances and looks ahead to future goals. The series includes assessments of the major subfields and reports on several smaller subfields, and preparation has begun on an overview volume on the unity of physics, its relationships to other fields, and its contributions to national needs. Nuclear Physics is the latest volume of the series. The book describes current activity in understanding nuclear structure and symmetries, the behavior of matter at extreme densities, the role of nuclear physics in astrophysics and cosmology, and the instrumentation and facilities used by the field. It makes recommendations on the resources needed for experimental and theoretical advances in the coming decade.

Pulsars, generally accepted to be rotating neutron stars, are dense, neutron-packed remnants of massive stars that blew apart in supernova explosions. They are typically about 10 kilometers across and spin rapidly, often making several hundred rotations per second. Depending on star mass, gravity compresses the matter in the cores of pulsars up to more than ten times the density of ordinary atomic nuclei, thus providing a high-pressure environment in which numerous particle processes, from hyperon population to quark deconfinement to the formation of Boson condensates, may compete with each other. There are theoretical suggestions of even more ""exotic"" processes inside pulsars, such as the formation of absolutely stable strange quark matter, a configuration of matter even more stable than the most stable atomic nucleus, ^T56Fe. In the latter event, pulsars would be largely composed of pure quark matter, eventually enveloped in nuclear crust matter. These features combined with the tremendous recent progress in observational radio and x-ray astronomy make pulsars nearly ideal probes for a wide range of physical studies, complementing the quest of the behavior of superdense matter in terrestrial collider experiments. Written by an eminent author, Pulsars as Astrophysical Laboratories for Nuclear and Particle Physics gives a reliable account of the present status of such research, which naturally is to be performed at the interface between nuclear physics, particle physics, and Einstein's theory of relativity.

Nuclear astrophysics background -- The instruments used to study astrophysics -- Nuclear basics of nuclear astrophysics -- Stellar basics of nuclear astrophysics -- Hydrogen burning -- Advanced stellar evolution, supernovae, and gamma-ray bursters -- Production of the abundant heavy nuclides -- Nucleosynthesis on the proton-rich side of stability, X-ray bursts, and magnetars -- The beginning of the universe.

Originally published in 1982, this collection of essays provides an integrated overview of the application of nuclear science to astronomy. The book discusses, among other topics, the abundances of the nuclear and chemical species on the Earth and the Moon, in meteorites, in the stars, and in interstellar space. The hypothesis that these species are produced by nuclear reactions is then explored and related to laboratory measurements. Other subjects include the dynamics of supernovae and interdisciplinary relationships between elementary particle physics and cosmology. The essays are dedicated to Professor William A. Fowler and pay tribute to his vast influence on the field.

This book provides a theoretical and observational overview of the state of the art of gamma-ray astrophysics, and their impact and connection with the physics of cosmic rays and neutrinos. With the aim of shedding new and fresh light on the problem of the nature of the gamma-ray sources, particularly those yet unidentified, this book summarizes contributions to a workshop that continues today.

A broad range of topics of current interest are discussed, from nuclear structure at the edge of stability to nuclear astrophysics and cosmic ray physics at the highest energies. Both the state of the art and basic background information are presented with a particular emphasis on interrelated research interests. The writers are all active scientists who enjoy the highest international reputation. They cover a range of problems of nuclear structure, in particular those concerning exotic nuclei and their decay modes, their relevance to nuclear reaction chains in stellar burning processes at various astrophysical sites, and as yet unsolved questions concerning the origin, acceleration mechanism, energy spectrum and elemental composition of high energy cosmic rays. Readership: Postgraduate physicists interested in the development of modern radioactive beam facilities, large array gamma ray and cosmic ray detectors, and new theoretical tools.