# Transient Phenomena in the High-Redshift Universe: Stellar Mergers and Pulsational Pair-Instability Explosions

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Louisiana State University (LA) · $545,315

## Abstract

Chemical elements, such as Carbon, Oxygen, and Nitrogen, are made within stars.  The first stars were made of pristine Hydrogen and Helium only, and they were the first cosmic factories to synthesize advanced chemical elements such as Carbon. The first generation of stars also ended their lives with powerful explosions, spreading complex chemical elements in their nearby environment. This program will carry out advanced numerical simulations to study the explosive end of the first generation of stars to better understand the origin of chemical elements. This project includes a robust outreach initiative designed to engage students in the State of Louisiana through innovative educational opportunities. This program will offer hands-on research experiences to high school and undergraduate students at the LIGO Gravitational Wave Observatory and the University of Crete Institute of Astrophysics, in Greece.

This project aims to investigate the transient phenomena of the high-redshift universe, focusing on Pulsational Pair-Instability Supernovae (PPISNe) and massive stellar mergers occurring in low- and zero-metallicity environments. By using cutting-edge hydrodynamic simulations and radiation transport models, the study will explore how these explosive events influence the chemical enrichment of the primordial gas and contribute to the formation of early cosmic structures, such as the first stars, galaxies, and black holes. The project will investigate how the rapid rotation an

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2506735
- **Awardee organization:** Louisiana State University (LA)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** ECQEYCHRNKJ4
- **PI:** Emmanouil Chatzopoulos
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS, OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES
- **Estimated total:** $545,315
- **Funds obligated:** $545,315
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2506735

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2506735, Transient Phenomena in the High-Redshift Universe: Stellar Mergers and Pulsational Pair-Instability Explosions. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2506735. Licensed CC0.

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