WoU-MMA: Pinning the Generation of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays with First Principles Plasma Simulations

WoU-MMA：利用第一原理等离子体模拟来固定超高能宇宙射线的产生

• 批准号: 2308944
• 负责人: Luca Comisso
• 金额: $ 65.27万
• 依托单位: Columbia 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: 2023-06-15 至 2026-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2308944&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: WoU; MMA; Pinning; Generation; Ultra

This award supports a study of how highest energy cosmic rays can be accelerated to the energies we measure these particles to have. The origin of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) has remained an unsolved question of high energy astrophysics from several decades. It is generally believed that extragalactic sources in the nearby universe are responsible for producing these cosmic rays with extremely high energies. Active galactic nuclei are generally suggested as the most promising sources of UHECRs. However, our theoretical understanding of the processes that can accelerate UHECRs in active galactic nuclei lags far behind the observational progress. This project will perform advanced computer simulations that model the acceleration of particles at the microscopic level with high accuracy and detail. By studying the properties of the accelerated charged particles and the associated gamma-rays and neutrinos, this research will contribute to interpreting current and future observations and ultimately provide insights into the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays. In doing so, the project addresses goals of NSF's "Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics" program.The research plan focuses on developing state-of-the-art fully kinetic simulations of plasma turbulence in magnetically dominated environments, taking into account cooling losses from synchrotron and inverse Compton radiation, as well as photo-hadronic interactions. The main goal of this project is to achieve a better understanding of the physics of cosmic ray acceleration, as well as the simultaneous energization of electrons and positrons within plasma turbulence and magnetic reconnection sites. The designed supercomputer simulations will not only produce self-consistent energy distributions of the accelerated particles, but also allow for the exploration of the relationship between the particle distributions and the key physical parameters that regulate the particle energization process. Physically-grounded predictions for the acceleration of UHECRs, the photon spectrum, and neutrino emission associated with turbulent energy dissipation in relativistic jets and coronae of active galactic nuclei will be produced by this research project. The predictions will aid in the interpretation of current and future multi-messenger observations, contributing to our understanding of the origin of UHECRs.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.

该奖项支持一项研究，该研究如何将最高的能量宇宙射线加速到我们测量这些颗粒所具有的能量。超高能量宇宙射线（UHECR）的起源仍然是几十年来高能天体物理学的尚未解决的问题。人们普遍认为，附近宇宙中的阿拉加层源负责产生这些宇宙射线，其能量极高。通常认为活跃的银河核是最有前途的UHECR来源。但是，我们对可以在活跃银河核中加速UHECR的过程的理论理解远远落后于观察性进步。该项目将执行高级计算机模拟，以高精度和细节在显微镜水平上对粒子的加速进行建模。通过研究加速带电颗粒以及相关的伽马射线和中微子的性质，这项研究将有助于解释当前和未来的观察结果，并最终提供有关最高能量宇宙射线的起源的见解。在此过程中，该项目解决了NSF的“宇宙窗口：多理智的天体物理学时代”计划的目标。研究计划重点是在磁性统治的环境中对血浆湍流的完全动力学模拟，考虑到同步和综合Compton Radiation和Inverse Compton Radiation和Inverse Compton Radiation and vorse Compton Radiation和Photossphothronic互动。该项目的主要目的是更好地了解宇宙射线加速度的物理，以及等离子湍流和磁重新连接位点中电子和正电子的同时通电。设计的超级计算机模拟不仅将产生加速粒子的自洽能量分布，而且还可以探索粒子分布与调节粒子能量过程的关键物理参数之间的关系。该研究项目将产生与活性银河核的相对论射流和coronae中的湍流能量耗散相关的UHECR，光子光谱和中微子发射的物理地面预测。这些预测将有助于解释当前和未来的多理智观察，这有助于我们对UHECR的起源的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响来通过评估来获得支持的审查标准。