Molecular line cooling in astrophysical media

Electromagnetic radiation is a fundamental process governing both the heating and cooling of astrophysical environments, from the birth of stars to the evolution of exoplanetary atmospheres and binary star systems. Radiative cooling, in particular, plays a pivotal role in determining the physical and thermal evolution of various astrophysical media. This sabbatical will focus on advancing our understanding and modeling of radiative cooling in these contexts, developing innovative computational methods that are more efficient and accurate for handling the complexities of cooling in diverse astrophysical scenarios. The importance of radiative cooling is highlighted by its impact on key astrophysical processes: 1. Star Formation: Radiative cooling determines whether a giant molecular cloud can dissipate enough heat during gravitational collapse to reach the densities required for star formation. 2. Exoplanet Atmospheres: The thermal structure and energy balance of exoplanetary atmospheres, especially those of gas giants, ice giants, and potentially habitable terrestrial exoplanets, are critically regulated by radiative cooling processes. 3. Stellar Evolution: In evolved stars, cooling in the outer layers enables the conditions for dust condensation, which is crucial for initiating stellar winds. 4. Accretion Discs: Radiative cooling is essential for determining whether accretion discs can form around binary star companions, impacting binary star evolution.  Modeling radiative cooling in these environments is computationally challenging, as it requires a precise coupling of hydrodynamic models, non-equilibrium chemical processes, and radiative transfer calculations. My sabbatical research will focus on developing advanced mathematical schemes and numerical solvers to compute radiative line cooling rates `on the spot’, enabling their integration into 3D hydro-chemical models in a more computationally efficient manner. A key aspect of this project will be collaboration with colleagues at the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, where I will work closely with: • Prof. Christopher Tout, an expert in single and binary star evolution, • Prof. Nikki Madhusudhan, renowned for his work on exoplanetary atmospheres, and • Prof. Cathie J. Clarke, a leading authority on protoplanetary discs.  The collaboration will facilitate the development of new radiative cooling models, coupled with advanced hydrodynamical simulations used by these experts. Our goal is to demonstrate the efficacy of these new cooling models across a variety of astrophysical contexts, including the four cases mentioned above. This research promises to advance our ability to model complex astrophysical systems, improving our understanding of star formation, planetary atmospheres, and binary star interactions, with potential applications in a wide range of astrophysical phenomena.