Daimler and Benz Foundation

NUMANJI: NUclear-physics and Multi-messenger AstroNomy through Joint bayesian Inference

High-energy, cataclysmic astrophysical events are continuously occurring throughout the Universe. Without these, most of the chemical elements in the periodic table, and life as we know it, would not exist. A fascinating subclass among these events are mergers of compact stars, that explore the highest densities realized in our Universe and that are thought to play an important role in the creation of heavy elements such as gold and platinum. Despite their importance, fundamental questions about these phenomena persist and interdisciplinary collaborations are key to find answers. We will set up an international collaboration to support the development of a computational framework that connects gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations of such mergers with theoretical predictions based on Einstein's theory of General Relativity and Quantum Chromodynamics. A comprehensive, multi-messenger framework will allow us to extract crucial astrophysical information and unravel the properties of matter under the most extreme conditions in our Universe.

Period: Approved in 2022; funding started March 2023