All these features make neutron stars and catastrophic stellar
events
superb astrophysical laboratories for a wide range of physical studies.
These range from the exploration of nuclear processes on the surfaces
and inner crusts of neutron stars, to the exploration of novel states
of matter—foremost quark matter—in the cores of such objects, to the
exploration of the role of quark deconfinement for stellar core
collapse events and proto-neutron stars. And with observational data
accumulating rapidly from both orbiting and ground based observatories
spanning the spectrum from X-rays to radio wavelengths, there has never
been a more exiting time than today to study neutron stars, gamma-ray
bursts, and supernovae. The Hubble Space Telescope and X-ray satellites
such as Chandra and XMM-Newton in particular have proven especially
valuable. New astrophysical instruments such as the Five hundred meter
Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), the square kilometer Array (skA),
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST), Astrosat, ATHENA
(Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics), and the Neutron Star
Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) promise the discovery of tens of
thousands of new neutron stars. Of particular interest may be the
proposed NICER mission (scheduled to launch in 2016), which is
dedicated to the study of extraordinary gravitational, electromagnetic,
and nuclear-physics environments embodied by neutron stars. NICER will
explore the exotic states of matter in the core regions of neutron
stars, where, as mentioned just above, density and pressure are much
higher than in atomic nuclei. To keep up with the interpretation of all
the data that will/are provided by these instruments, sophisticated
studies need to be carried out which utilize the latest advances in
theoretical nuclear, particle, and astrophysics paired with
computational physics, which is the focal point of my research efforts.
As a case in point, I would like to mention my research on possible
astrophysical signals of exotic matter. Together with my students, I
have been able to identify several such signals which are detectable
with radio telescopes and X-ray satellites. This research has attracted
tremendous interest in the physics and astrophysics community.
Professors D. Manchester (CSIRO, Australia) and A. G. Lyne (Jodrell
Bank, United Kingdom), two of the world’s leading radio astronomers,
are aware of this work and are looking for evidence of the non-standard
stellar effects predicted by us. Even more than that, the notion “quark
astronomy” has been coined in the literature for these research
activities.
