CAREER: A Holistic Study of Compact-Object Mergers across the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

Black holes (BHs) and neutron stars (NSs) are the densest objects in our Universe. The investigator will advance our understanding of BHs and NSs by studying their collisions in space. The violent collisions of BHs and NSs produce bursts of light that can be detected with telescopes, as well as gravitational waves (GWs) that can now be detected with special instruments like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Indeed, astronomers have very recently detected for the first time GWs and light from a neutron star merger named GW170817. This joint detection marked the beginning a new era of investigation: the era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics. New research programs, like the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), are further increasing the distances probed in the Universe and rate of discoveries. The investigator’s project capitalizes on this guaranteed stream of data, adding the unique perspective of a truly multi-wavelength (X-ray to radio) characterization of mergers of NSs and BHs. The investigator will work with high school teachers to develop curricular material on compact-object mergers, and to guide their students in research projects. Finally, the investigator’s group will work with visually impaired scientists and collaborate with professional musicians to translate astronomical measurements into sound to make multi-messenger astrophysics accessible to everybody and engage the wider public with an all-senses experience. The field of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics is in its infancy. After the first joint electromagnetic (EM)-GW detection, the research priority is to map the post-merger properties as constrained by the EM transients. This is the overarching goal of this investigation. By acquiring multi-wavelength observations that sample both the thermal and non-thermal emission, this effort will map the diversity of the EM outcomes from NS mergers. In doing so, this investigation will lead to the study of a population of NS mergers detected via GWs and light. New regimes of high energy and high-density physics will be explored in their research program. In addition, the investigator may improve constraints on the NS equation of state and on the rate of acceleration of the Universe. This project advances the goals of the NSF 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.