BACCO · Burning on Accreting Compact Objects
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2017-04-01 → 2019-03-31
- EU contribution
- €158,122
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Burning on Accreting Compact Objects
Neutron stars (or "pulsars") contain the densest stable form of matter that we can see in the Universe. In this MSCA project, BACCO, we have studied how thermonuclear burning proceeds on their surface, at different accretion rates. Our new approach compares thermonuclear flashes on the surface of accreting neutron stars and white dwarfs, from a theoretical as well as observational view point. We have also tackled in the course of this project one of the most fundamental and long-lasting questions in the history of neutron star research: what is the maximum mass they can reach? This is important because it tells us how particles interact in their cores, in a physical state of matter that is not accessible from laboratories on Earth.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Neutron stars, black holes and white dwarfs, collectively known as compact objects, are born when normal stars die. Besides being of broad interest in astronomy, compact objects offer unique tools for the study of nuclear physics and cosmology. The density in the core of neutron stars exceeds that of an atomic nucleus, which makes them the densest stable objects that we can observe in the Universe. When accreted matter falls onto the surface of a neutron star or a white dwarf, it is piled up and compressed, becoming fuel for nuclear reactions. Despite significant progress during the last decades, fundamental questions about the physics of neutron stars, white dwarfs and thermonuclear burning remain unanswered. During this Fellowship, the Researcher will compare recent burst discoveries with numerical simulations performed in collaboration with the Host Group, in order to answer crucial open questions at the crossroads between compact objects and thermonuclear burning. The multi-disciplinary approach of this project, which combines X-ray astronomy, nuclear physics and hydrodynamic simulations, will provide the Researcher with new and valuable skills.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA · BARCELONACoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union