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The 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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