CIPROM
2022/49
Welcome to the homepage of the Relativistic Astrophysics, Computational Cosmology, and Gravitational-Wave Astronomy project funded by Generalitat Valenciana.
This project will investigate a number of topics at the forefront of present-day research in the fields of Relativistic Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Gravitational-Wave (GW) Astronomy. In the context of Relativistic Astrophysics, we will study the dynamics and emission processes of relativistic jets at different scales (pc and kpc), their interaction with stars and the host galaxies, as well as relativistic flows in X-ray and gamma-ray binary stars. Moreover, we will also explore in this line of research the dynamics and electromagnetic (EM) and GW emission of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers and post-merger hypermassive neutron stars, studying the effects on the lifetime of the remnant of magnetic-field amplification (through our new sub-grid model) and those of finite-temperature equations of state. Multi-messenger aspects associated with neutron star crustal fracture in BNS mergers will also be investigated. In addition, this line of research will also compute shadows from compact objects sourced by accretion disks, comparing the results with the images from the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration. In the context of Cosmology, the project will focus on the study of the formation and evolution of galaxies and cosmic voids, and will comprehensively explore the effects on galaxy clusters of cosmological shock waves, turbulence in the intracluster medium and cosmological magnetic fields. The new cosmological simulations to be carried out in this project will produce synthetic galaxies directly comparable to those observed by current and new generations of telescopes. Finally, in the context of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy, our project will provide direct contributions to observations from the upcoming science runs of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) detector network. Specific activities involve waveform modelling of compact binary coalescences (CBC, including black holes - with a focus on eccentric collisions -, neutron stars, and exotic compact objects such as boson stars), asteroseismology of corecollapse supernovae, data analysis (including machine learning approaches) of transient sources, both modelled (CBC) and unmodelled (bursts), development of new GW pipelines and searches during the LVK observational run O4, and EM follow-up observations of GW sources. The entire proposal has a strong computational profile. To achieve our goals, we will make heavy use of high-performance computing. By developing and exploiting fairly specific numerical tools the project will bridge the results from the simulations with multi-messenger astronomical data, both for EM signals and GW signals. The project is interdisciplinary in its scientific scope with implications in many disciplines in physics. Last but not least, it provides opportunities for its early-stage participants to strengthen their skills and acquire new ones with substantial benefits for their future careers.