Speaker: Gail McLaughlin (North Carolina State U)

Host: Srimoyee Sen

Title: Neutrinos and element synthesis

Abstract: Explosive astrophysical events, such as neutron star mergers and core-collapse supernovae, are true multimessenger events that include gravitational waves, an electromagnetic signal, and the emission of enormous numbers of neutrinos. To understand these signals, we need a careful accounting of the microphysics that occurs during and after the merger. I will focus on the heavy elements produced in these objects and the effect of two aspects of this microphysics; neutrino flavor transformation physics and nuclear models/reactions.  In particular, I will discuss the importance of new developments in these areas to predictions of r-process observables and the astrophysical origin of the r-process.

Bio: Gail C. McLaughlin received her A. B. in physics from Princeton University and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California, San Diego in 1996 under the supervision of George Fuller.  Currently, she is a University Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University.   Her post-Phd career took her to postdocs at the Institute for Nuclear Theory and TRIUMF and to a research scientist position at Stony Brook.  Her work has contributed to several directions in nuclear physics, including neutrino physics, the physics of supernovae and compact object mergers and properties of nuclei.