This award will enable Dr. Grant J. Mathews, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and six colleagues to collaborate with Prof. Ken'ichi Nomoto, University of Tokyo, Japan, and co-workers over a period of two years. They will study mechanisms responsible for the synthesis of the elements which occurs in stellar explosions, including the "big bang," proposed as responsible for the birth of the universe itself. Measurements of the electromagnetic and neutrino spectra associated with the explosion of the well-observed 1987 supernova will be correlated with theoretical models. An additional phase of this research involves the study of a possible inhomogeneity of baryon distribution in the universe, which can also help explain mechanisms of element formation immediately after the initial big bang. The overall purpose of this research is to understand processes involved in the formation of the universe. The many observations of the 1987 supernova will be used in conjunction with today's best theories to obtain a scenario for the origin of our universe, which resulted from the explosive synthesis of particles into nuclei of elements, and subsequent ejection of the synthesized material into the interstellar medium. Contributions to this scenario will also be made by the obtaining of an improved theoretical understanding of the processes of baryon diffusion in the universe, which have long-term implications for the continuing expansion of the universe. This research will bring together workers from Japan and the U.S. who have each developed models for the 1987 supernova, and who will attempt to reconcile their work.
