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CCS: Astrophysics: About UsThe search for the explosion mechanism of core collapse supernovae and the computation of the nucleosynthesis in these spectacular stellar explosions is one of the most important and most challenging problems in computational nuclear astrophysics. Core collapse supernovae are the most energetic explosions in the Cosmos, releasing tremendous amounts of energy in the form of neutrinos of all flavors, disrupting stars more massive than ten Suns and disseminating and producing many of the elements in the Periodic Table, without which life as we know it would not exist. They are a nexus for nuclear physics, particle physics, fluid dynamics, radiation transport, and general relativity, and serve as cosmic laboratories for matter at extremes of density, temperature, and neutronization that cannot be produced in terrestrial laboratories and physics beyond the Standard Model. With the computing power afforded by vector and massively parallel supercomputers, we are presented with a unique opportunity to finally solve one of Nature's most important problems, and in so doing, take a big step toward understanding how life as we know it became possible. For more information see the project home page. |
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URL http://www.ccs.ornl.gov/astro/index.html Updated: Tuesday, 25-May-2004 12:01:14 EDT webmaster |