Rodolfo Barniol Duran
California State University-Sacramento, CA·Astronomy & Astrophysics
When two neutron stars collide, or a neutron star meets a black hole, the merger sends out gravitational waves and light. Neutron stars are ultra-dense remnants of dead stars.
- Fields
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Physics
- Topics
neutron star mergers
binary neutron stars
neutron star–black hole binaries
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Aug 2028
What they work on
- Build "meter-to-parsec" numerical simulations that follow neutron star–neutron star and neutron star–black hole mergers from the pre-merger state to the regions where observed light is produced.
- Generate consistent models of jet structure that connect off-axis emission to conditions at the base of the jet, to support emission models for the light that accompanies gravitational-wave events.
- Map how jets powered by a black hole differ from those powered by a neutron star, to identify which remnant drives short gamma-ray bursts without relying on kilonova emission.
- Determine how energy is divided within short gamma-ray burst jets at large scales, to clarify how particles are accelerated and how the prompt gamma rays are emitted.
More about the research
These cosmic collisions, now observed directly, are natural laboratories for gravity, extreme matter, plasma physics, jets of fast-moving material and the creation of new elements. Interpreting what telescopes see, however, means linking events that span huge ranges of size and time.
Why it matters
Gravitational-wave detectors and telescopes now catch neutron star mergers, but reading those signals needs physical models. This work could give astronomers reliable emission models for the light that accompanies gravitational-wave events, and a way to tell whether a black hole or neutron star powers a short gamma-ray burst. Together these would improve understanding of jets and extreme matter.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Antonios Tsokaros
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL·Astronomy & Astrophysics
Develop an open-source general relativistic initial data code, based on the COCAL (Compact Object CALculator) code, that lets users set up starting conditions for magnetized neutron stars and black holes, alone or in binaries.
Hang Yu
Montana State University, MT·Astronomy & Astrophysics·Early-career
Model nonlinear tides in binary neutron stars by expanding the stars' fluid motion into eigenmodes (natural vibration patterns), including couplings between modes, and coupling them to gravitational-wave-driven orbital decay.
Lee Lindblom
University of California-San Diego, CA·Physics
Develop a way to determine the neutron-star equation of state, the pressure–density relationship of matter inside neutron stars, from observations and strong-gravity theory, without assuming any particular microphysics of that matter.
The school
California State University-Sacramento: 3 labs on PI Pages, $34M a year on research, 19 research doctorates a year.
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