The advent of Quark-Novae: Modeling a new paradigm in Nuclear Astrophysics (12frg183)

The "The advent of Quark-Novae: Modeling a new paradigm in Nuclear Astrophysics" workshop will be hosted at The Banff International Research Station.

It has recently been theorized that some massive stars may not end their lives as a neutron star or black hole, as commonly believed, but instead as a star composed entirely of quarks. This star is the result of a massive explosion called a Quark-Nova, which is initiated when neutrons break up into their constituent quarks within a neutron star.rnrnThe extreme nature of the Quark-Nova would have potentially profound consequences leading to wide-ranging applications to astrophysical phenomena including an explanation for super-luminous supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, heavy element creation and perhaps it may shed light on the nature of dark energy. Studying the Quark-Nova, the conditions leading up to it, and the resulting quark star will provide scientists with a better understanding of the most fundamental particles in nature.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologí255a (CONACYT).