Advancing Computational Methods to Understand the Dynamics of Ejection, Accretion, Winds and Jets in Neutron Star Mergers
The recent observations of a binary neutron star merger using both gravitational wave interferometers as well as electromagnetic telescopes across the full spectrum have initiated the age of multimessenger astronomy and astrophysics. Our network, comprising experts in the fields of theoretical and computational astrophysics, is poised to complement these observational successes with the most thorough and complete effort in the field to simulate binary neutron star coalescences from prior to merger through to the formation of disks and/or collapse of the merged remnant, the production of jets, and launching of outflows.
Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics Network on Binary Neutron Stars is a multi-institution collaboration focusing on modeling binary neutron star mergers. The primary institutions that are a part of the collaboration are the Rochester Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Goddard Space Flight Center, and West Virginia University. Please see the Partners Page for the full list of participating institutions.
This collaboration has several foci: numerical relativistic magnetohydrodynamics to study jets for binary mergers, improving multipatch infrastructure to achieve better precision, a neutrino transport code that is coupled to MHD simulations, and an initial data code. The end goal is to couple all of these codes together to simulate binary systems for longer times and in greater detail than was possible before. For more information about these codes, please see our Software Page.
Selected Videography
Early Science Allocation on TACC's Frontera [Youtube]
Binary Neutron Star Merger Feb 25 version: Black Dot = Black Hole [Youtube]
IllinoisGRMHD BNS simulation; hybrid EOS with initially cold piecewise-polytrope SLy EOS [Youtube]
TEAM MEMBERS:
Senior Personnel
- TCAN: Manuela Campanelli (PI, RIT); Julian Krolik (co-I/JHU Site PI), Jeremy Schnittman (co-I/NASA-JSFC Site PI), Zachariah Etienne (co-I/U. of Idaho Site PI); Joshua Faber (co-I RIT), John Baker (co-I NASA-GSFC), Bernard Kelly (co-I NASA-GSFC), Scott Noble (co-I NASA-GSFC), Jason Nordhaus (co-I RIT), Richard O'Shaughnessy (co-I RIT), Yosef Zlochower (co-I RIT);
- Collaborators: Sebastiano Bernuzzi (Collaborator U. Iena Germany), Riccardo Ciolfi (INFN Padova Italy), Bruno Giacomazzo (Collaborator Milano-Bicocca (UniMiB)), Tsvi Piran (Collaborator HUJI Israel), Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz (Collaborator UCSC), Luke Roberts (Collaborators MSU), Carlos Lousto (RIT).
Postdocs:
- TCAN: Geoffrey Ryan (UMD), Leo Werneck (U. of Idaho), Yossef Zenati (JHU)
- Collaborators: Mark Avara (RIT), Vassilios Mewes (ORNL), Federico Lopez Armengol (IAR).
Students:
- TCAN: Tim Moon (RIT), Ariadna Murguia-Berthier (collab UCSC), Thiago Assumpção (WVU).
- Collaborators: Grace Fiacco (RIT), Trung Ha (RIT), Michael Kolacki (RIT).
Slack:
- tcan-bns-enchilada.slack.com
- tcan-rit-nasa-jhu-wvu.slack.com
