Ph.D. Student (M/F): Effects of Dense Matter on the Evolution of Protoneutron Stars

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Core-collapse supernovae and hypernovae occur at the end of the lives of massive stars (more than about 8 solar masses) and are spectacular events due to the immense amount of energy they release. At the center, a compact object forms, called a protoneutron star (PNS). Not only does this PNS contain ultra-dense matter with densities greater than that of an atomic nucleus, but it is also a hot object, reaching temperatures on the order of 50 MeV (several tens of billions of K). They cool primarily through neutrino emission and either collapse into a black hole or form a neutron star within a matter of minutes. The physics of PNSs determines, among other things, their stability with respect to collapse into a black hole, as well as dynamic properties such as the frequencies and damping times of oscillation modes—and consequently, the gravitational wave signal emitted.Modeling these objects is complex, involving very different fields: hydrodynamics, neutrino transport, general relativity, and a microphysics dominated by the strong interaction in the non-perturbative regime. The objective of this thesis is to study the impact of matter composition on the evolution of the PNS and to predict neutrino and gravitational wave signals, thereby probing the internal structure of the PNS and providing insights into the fundamental properties of ultra-dense, hot matter, which cannot be measured in terrestrial experiments. The goal of this work is to study the impact on the evolution of the PNS, with implications also for the conditions of nucleosynthesis associated with the supernova.
The objective of this thesis is to study the impact of the
composition of matter on the evolution of the PNS and to predict the
neutrino and gravitational wave signals, thereby probing the
internal structure of the PNS and providing insights into the
fundamental properties of ultra-dense, hot matter, which
cannot be measured in terrestrial experiments. The aim of this work
is to study the impact on the evolution of the PNS, with
implications also for the nucleosynthesis conditions associated with the
supernova.

Your Work Environment

The thesis research will be conducted at the Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory as part of the GALHECOS team, and the student will be enrolled at the doctoral school "Physique et Chimie-Physique" (ED182) at Strasbourg University. The work will be supervised by Micaela Oertel and carried out in collaboration with Jérôme Novak and Micaela Oertel. The Ph.D. student will also be able to benefit from the group's contacts with experts in the microphysics of (proto-)neutron stars in Caen and Bucharest, as well as with researchers studying neutrino reactions in these objects (Frankfurt) and the numerical relativity group at the Paris Observatory. Furthermore, the group at the Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory is a member of the Virgo and Einstein Telescope collaborations. The Ph.D. student will have access to computing resources for their work. If necessary, requests for computing time will be submitted to the management bodies of major national supercomputing centers (e.g., GENCI). Travel expenses necessary for their work (conferences or collaborations) will be covered by the laboratory. The hired person will benefit from the french social security (health, paid time off), partial reimbursement of transportation costs and access to a subsidized cafeteria.

Constraints and risks

The position does not involve any particular constraints or risks.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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