About

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 nine interdisciplinary research networks across 4 continents (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

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.

BRIDGCE

BRIDGCE (BRIdge the Disciplines related to the Galactic Chemical Evolution) is a UK-wide research network including more than 70 researchers from 20 universities supported by Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The goal of this network is to facilitate collaborations across the disciplines of nuclear, stellar, galactic, and extra-galactic astrophysics in order to understand the origin of the elements in the Universe as well as use chemical elements as tracers of the evolution of the Universe. We also provide training for students and early-career researchers, monitor diversity and inclusion, and lead various public engagement and outreach activities.

CaNPAN

The Canadian Nuclear Physics for Astrophysics Network is a collaboration of Canadian astrophysicists and experimental and theoretical nuclear physicists aligned with the common goal of using Canadian nuclear physics facilities, expertise and equipment, in conjunction with Canadian computational astrophysics resources, to provide education and advances in our understanding of the creation of the chemical elements, and the role of stars in our universe.

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.

ChETEC-INFRA

ChETEC-INFRA networks national and regional research infrastructures for nuclear astrophysics in Europe: astro-nuclear laboratories to obtain reaction data, supercomputer facilities to perform stellar structure and nucleosynthesis computations, and telescopes and mass spectrometers to collect elemental and isotopic abundance data. The 32 ChETEC-INFRA partner institutions in 17 countries provides free access to these infrastructures to both the European and international nuclear astrophysics communities, with proposals selected based on scientific excellence only.

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.

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.

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.

UKAKUREN/JaFNA

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.

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
Sanjana Curtis, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands (postdoc representative)
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
Rahul Jain, Michigan State University, USA (student representative)
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