Computational Astrophysics: Connecting Laboratory Experiments to Observations

Abstract

In the history of astronomy, observed data were interpreted very frequently based upon data measured at laboratories. For example, all the spectroscopic observations were understood via spectroscopic measurements on nuclei, atoms, and molecules. Recently, computational astrophysics plays a role of bridging experimental data to observations, in particular via numerical modeling of complex astronomical phenomena. This presentation focuses on computational nuclear astrophysics that connects experimental data on nuclei to high-energy observation data obtained by X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes. As an example case, X-ray burst will be discussed. In this phenomenon, observed X-ray light curves and spectra can be modeled by stellar evolution calculations that take nuclear reactions of rare isotopes as input information. This presentation also works as an introduction to the following presentation that will provide more detailed discussion on the experimental aspect of X-ray burst.