Collaborative Research: Electron Impact Ionization and Recombination Properties of Heavy elements in Kilonovae.

合作研究：千新星中重元素的电子碰撞电离和重组特性。

• 批准号: 2308012
• 负责人: Stuart Loch
• 金额: $ 37.98万
• 依托单位: Auburn University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2308012&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Electron; Impact; Ionization

Electron impact ionization (EII) and dielectronic recombination (DR) are key processes that govern the ionization balance of astrophysical plasmas. This research project will calculate accurate EII and DR cross sections for heavy elements produced in neutron star mergers (NSMs). These calculations will allow astronomers to accurately interpret the spectra of kilonovae, the transient electromagnetic emission from material ejected by NSMs, thus advancing our understanding of the production sites of the heaviest elements in the universe. The project will train a graduate student in advanced atomic physics methods, provide research opportunities to undergraduate students, and expose high school students to astronomical research. Using modern electronic structure codes, the investigators will calculate and benchmark EII and DR cross sections for ions of important elements produced by the rapid neutron capture process in NSMs. Extensive calculations will yield DR rate coefficients for temperatures consistent with the thermal (low energy) and non-thermal (high energy) electron components in kilonova ejecta. The EII cross sections will allow the investigators to explore the contributions of other ionization mechanisms that are missing from models of kilonova emission. This project advances the goals of the Windows on the Universe Big Idea.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.

电子冲击电离（EII）和介电重组（DR）是控制天体物理等离子体电离平衡的关键过程。该研究项目将计算出中子星（NSM）中产生的重元素的准确EII和DR横截面。这些计算将使天文学家能够准确解释基洛诺维（Kilonovae）的光谱，基洛诺维（Kilonovae）是NSMS弹出的材料的瞬时电磁发射，从而促进了我们对宇宙中最重的元素生产地点的理解。该项目将培训高级原子物理学方法的研究生，为本科生提供研究机会，并使高中生接触天文学研究。使用现代电子结构代码，研究人员将计算和基准测试EII和DR横截面，以通过NSMS中快速中子捕获过程产生的重要元素的离子进行基准EII和DR横截面。广泛的计算将产生与Kilonova弹出中的热（低能）和非热（高能）电子组件一致的温度系数。 EII横截面将使研究人员能够探索基洛诺瓦排放模型中缺少的其他电离机制的贡献。该项目推进了宇宙大意的窗户的目标。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的评论标准来评估值得支持的。