NSF Award
2307358
GW170817 is the name given by astronomers to the merger of two neutron stars witnessed through its gravitational wave siren, an associated gamma-ray burst, and its glow at all wavelengths of light. This discovery marked the beginning of a golden age in time-domain multi-messenger astronomy. A research team at Texas Tech University will use radio observations to study the physics of multi-messenger transients. While this group helps shape the path forward for multi-messenger astronomy, it will also undertake educational and outreach initiatives aimed at building the next generation of scientists. These will include training students in computing and data analysis through the Radio Astronomy Data Imaging and Analysis Lab (RADIAL), a partnership between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and fourteen minority-serving institutions of higher education and sponsoring the yearly public Bucy Distinguished Lecture to further encourage participation of the general public and local minorities in STEM. <br/><br/>This project has three main goals: (i) Conducting radio follow-up observations of neutron star - neutron star and neutron star - black hole systems discovered by ground-based gravitational wave detectors to constrain the physics of their ejecta and the nature of their remnants; (ii) Shedding light on the the similarities and differences between two types of stellar explosions: gamma-ray bursts and stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae; (iii) Exploring future multi-messenger observing scenarios with the next generation Very Large Array radio telescope and ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Mergers of neutron stars in binary systems observed through multiple messengers offer a unique opportunity to answer key open questions in a variety of fields, including gravitational and nuclear physics, relativistic astrophysics, and cosmology. Studying how neutron stars and black holes form and evolve, when isolated or paired in binaries, can shed light on the yet-to-be-understood diverse paths that bring massive stars toward their violent deaths, enriching the universe with its heaviest elements. Characterizing the properties of powerful blasts and ejecta from binary neutron star mergers and massive star collapses can give us invaluable information on particle acceleration mechanisms, magnetic field amplification, and the nature of the central engines powering the most relativistic cosmic jets. Unveiling the remnants of binary neutron star coalescences can constrain the equation of state of nuclear matter, providing a fundamental physics test. This award advances the goals of the Windows on the Universe Big Idea.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
