MDUSa - Magnetospheric Dynamics of Ultra-compact Stars

Project funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT) (FCT_CPCA_2020_01), grant CPCA/A0/7361/2020. Funded amount: EUR 615, as stated by the source. Runs 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31. Keywords: Plasma Physics, General Relativity, Quantum Electrodynamics, Neutron Stars, Magnetospheres, Exact sciences. Source: OpenAIRE Graph, from the funder's project data (collected by OpenAIRE on 2025-07-18); national funding data, not CORDIS; selected because its keywords name quantum. Abstract given by the source: The magnetospheres of compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes, commonly connected to some of the most violent events in the Universe, are complex systems that comprise quantum electrodynamic (QED) processes, kinetic-scale pair plasma physics and general relativity (GR). To study such intricate and exotic systems, advanced simulation techniques are required. Combining traditional particle-in-cell (PIC) codes with dedicated modules that capture these exotic processes allows for a global description of compact objects' magnetospheres. Furthermore, detailed simulations capable of coupling all these processes may be important to identify the key particle acceleration mechanisms and corresponding radiation signatures. This proposal aims to exploit the outstanding facilities provided by FCT, via RNCA, by employing a recently developed GR module for the PIC code OSIRIS to explore the role of general-relativistic effects on the structures and dynamics of neutron star magnetospheres. The main goal of this research project is to identify the main signatures on the magnetospheric plasma current distribution of coupling a strong gravitational potential with the production of pair plasma via cascades that occur in localized regions around pulsar polar caps. This study will allow the identification of strong particle acceleration mechanisms and subsequent gamma-ray emission sites in pulsar magnetospheres.

Original source.

Source: OpenAIRE Graph: projects of national funders, OpenAIRE, from the project data of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT). Retrieved 2026-10-28. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (OpenAIRE Graph). Selected metadata, adapted presentation; the publisher's record is authoritative. No endorsement by the source is implied. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).

AI-assisted summary: The MDUSa project, funded by FCT with a grant of EUR 615, runs from January 1 to December 31, 2021. It focuses on the magnetospheres of ultra-compact stars, utilizing advanced simulation techniques to study quantum electrodynamic processes. Suggested technology pillar: simulation. Generated by AI from the public source text; it may contain errors and the original source is authoritative.