New Windows to the Universe

The emergence of multi-messenger astronomy, where extreme astrophysical environments are observed using gravitational waves, X-rays, visible light, gamma-rays, radio waves, and neutrinos, opens up the opportunity to understand the formation of the elements and the nature of dense matter. IReNA connects this broad range of observations with the extraordinarily broad range of experimental and theoretical nuclear physics studies and advanced computational models needed to truly create new windows into the physics of the universe. 

IReNA is a US National Science Foundation AccelNet Network of Networks. It
​connects six interdisciplinary research networks across 17 countries (see below) to foster collaboration, complement and enhance research capabilities in the US and abroad, and thus greatly accelerate progress in science. An important component of IReNA is the training of students and other young researchers in an unique interdisciplinary, collaborative, and international environment that prepares them for a broad range of STEM careers in science, industry, government, and national laboratories.

IReNA Research Networks

JINA-CEE
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The JINA-Center for the Evolution of the Elements is centered in the US and supported as a NSF Physics Frontiers Center since 2002. JINA-CEE has pioneered a networked approach to nuclear astrophysics and connects expertise in nuclear experiment, nuclear theory, observations, and astrophysics. JINA-CEE includes 26 institutions with more than 300 members, the majority students and postdocs. Core institutions are Michigan State University, The University of Notre Dame, Arizona State University, and the University of Washington. JINA-CEE serves as a center for the field of nuclear astrophysics with typically 400-500 annual participants in workshops or visitor programs. 

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ChETEC

Chemical Elements as Tracers of the Evolution of the Cosmos) is a network funded under the European COST action scheme. The explicit goal of ChETEC is similar to JINA-CEE to maximize the scientific and innovative return on huge investments in satellites, ground-based observatories, nuclear physics experimental facilities, and accelerator facilities by coordinating research efforts in astronomy, astrophysics, and nuclear physics in a pan-European network. In addition, the network will train the new generation of European scientists providing inter-disciplinary expertise and knowledge transfer skills, as well as career mentoring. 

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EMMI

The ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany was founded in 2008. More than 400 scientists at the 13 partner institutions of EMMI study various forms of strongly coupled matter in extreme conditions ranging from the Big Bang, over neutron stars and supernovae, to ultra-cold gases. The key idea of EMMI is to conduct research in an interdisciplinary framework, based upon common underlying concepts for the theoretical and phenomenological understanding of phenomena that occur in different forms of strongly coupled matter. EMMI also acts as a think tank for the planning of future experiments, for example at the planned FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) accelerator facility. 

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NuGRID

Founded in 2007 as an international science collaboration in the area of nuclear astrophysics simulations, to develop a comprehensive nuclear astrophysics simulation capability. The collaboration has developed and maintains a suite of simulation codes for nucleosynthesis simulations in different configurations, including 3D simulations (the NuPPN code family), for Galactic chemical evolution (NuPyCEE) and for data analysis and visualization (NuGridPy). The collaboration has a clearly defined membership. A rotating five-person principle-investigator team leads the collaboration, which presently includes 50 researchers (including students) from 21 active institutions in 8 countries. 

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SFB 881 The Milky Way System 

A Collaborative Research Center established in 2011, consisting of 5 astronomical institutions around Heidelberg, Germany.  The science themes include theoretical and observational nuclear astrophysics, observational and theoretical Galactic chemical evolution, and the exploitation of vast stellar databases.  

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UKAKUREN 

The Japan Forum for Nuclear Astrophysics, is an interdisciplinary network of 119 scientists working in fields related to nuclear astrophysics. Its members are distributed in 16 universities across Japan, and in major research institutes: the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Nishina Center and the Center for Nuclear Study (CNS) at RIKEN, the High-energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP), and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Common interests with JINA-CEE include observational astronomy, astrophysics, cosmic ray physics, and experimental and theoretical nuclear physics.

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IReNA Management Structure

IReNA Principal Investigators

• Hendrik Schatz, Michigan State University, USA (Director)
• Timothy Beers, University of Notre Dame, USA (co-PI)
• Sanjay Reddy, University of Washington, USA (co-PI)
• Frank Timmes, Arizona State University, USA (co-PI)
• Michael Wiescher, University of Notre Dame, USA (co-PI)
• Alfredo Estrade, Central Michigan University (Subaward PI

IReNA Support 

• Ana Becceril, Michigan State University (Management Support)
• Alexa Allen, Michigan State University (Administrative Support)

IReNA Steering Committee

• Ani Aprahamian, University of Notre Dame, USA
• Timothy Beers, University of Notre Dame, USA
• Norbert Christlieb, Universität Heidelberg, Germany
• Alfredo Estrade, Central Michigan University, USA
• Anna Frebel, MIT, USA
• Carla Fröhlich, North Carolina State University, USA
• Falk Herwig, University of Victoria, Canada
• Raphael Hirschi, Keele University, UK
• Zach Meisel, Ohio University, USA
• Shunji Nishimura, RIKEN Nishina Center, Japan
• Sanjay Reddy, University of Washington, USA
• Hendrik Schatz, Michigan State University, USA
• Achim Schwenk, TU Darmstadt, Germany
• Frank Timmes, Arizona State University, USA
• Michael Wiescher, University of Notre Dame, USA
• Remco Zegers, Michigan State University, USA

Focus Area Coordinators

Participants

Participating Institutions

Argonne National Laboratory, USA, JINA-CEE
Arizona State University, USA, JINA-CEE
Astronomisches Rechenzentrum Heidelberg, Germany, CRC881
Cambridge, UK, ChETEC
Central Michigan University, USA, JINA-CEE
Goethe University, Germany, EMMI
GSI Darmstadt, Germany, EMMI
Heidelberg Institute of Technology, Germany, CRC881
IAC Canary Islands, Spain, ChETEC
INAF Torino, Italy, ChETEC
Indiana University, USA, JINA-CEE
Institute of Space Science Bucharest, Romania, ChETEC
IPMU/Tokyo, Japan, UKAKUREN
IPN Lyon, France, ChETEC
Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia, ChETEC
Keele University, UK, ChETEC/NuGRID
KEK High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Japan, UKAKUREN
Konan University, Japan, UKAKUREN
Konkoly Observatory Budapest, Hungary, NuGRID
KU Leuven, Belgium, ChETEC
KVI-CART Groningen, Netherlands, ChETEC
Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire de Caen, France, ChETEC
"Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso,  INFN", Italy, ChETEC
Leibnitz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, Germany, ChETEC
Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA, JINA-CEE
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, JINA-CEE
Max Planck Institute fur Astronomie Heidelberg, Germany, CRC881
Michigan State University, USA, JINA-CEE
NAOJ, Japan, UKAKUREN
Naples University, Italy, ChETEC
Nihon University, Japan, UKAKUREN
North Carolina State University, USA, JINA-CEE
Observatoire de Paris, France, ChETEC
Ohio University, USA, JINA-CEE
Osaka University, Japan, UKAKUREN
Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory, Norway, ChETEC
Princeton University, USA, JINA-CEE
RIKEN Nishina Center, Japan, UKAKUREN
Ruder Boskovic Institute, Croatia, ChETEC
Second University of Naples, Italy, ChETEC
Stockholm University, Sweden, ChETEC
Stonybrook University, USA, JINA-CEE
Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, ChETEC/NuGRID/EMMI
Texas A&M, USA, JINA-CEE
Trieste University, Italy, ChETEC
TU Darmstadt, Germany, EMMI
Universidad de Valencia, Spain, ChETEC
Universität Frankfurt IAP, Germany, ChETEC
Universität zu Köln, Germany, ChETEC
University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, ChETEC
University of Edinburgh, UK, ChETEC/NuGRID
University of Heidelberg, Germany, CRC881
University of Hull, UK, ChETEC/NuGRID
University of Hyogo, Japan, UKAKUREN
University of Jyväskylä, Finland, ChETEC
University of Liege, Belgium, ChETEC
University of Milano, Italy, ChETEC
University of Minnesota, USA, JINA-CEE
University of Naples, Italy, ChETEC
University of Notre Dame, USA, JINA-CEE
University of Tennessee, USA, JINA-CEE
University of Victoria, Canada, NuGRID
University of Washington, USA, JINA-CEE
University of York, UK, ChETEC/NuGRID
University of Zagreb, Croatia, ChETEC
Western Michigan University, USA, JINA-CEE