Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer Legacy Science Progra11

AS A CO-INVESTIGATOR AND FULL MEMBER OF THE SCIENCE TEAM ON THE NEUTRON STAR INTERIOR COMPOSITION EXPLORER (NICER) NASA MISSION DR. BOGDANOV WILL ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE LEGACY SCIENCE PROGRAM OF THE EXTENDED NICER MISSION AS DESCRIBED IN ITS APPROVED 2019 NASA ASTROPHYSICS SENIOR REVIEW PROPOSAL THROUGH CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE EXISTING TOPICAL SCIENCE WORKING GROUPS. THE PROPOSED POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW WHO WILL JOIN DR. BOGDANOV S RESEARCH GROUP IS EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN A NUMBER OF THE TEAM RESEARCH ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED BELOW. AS A MEMBER AND CHAIR OF THE LIGHT CURVE MODELING WORKING GROUP S. BOGDANOV IS CURRENTLY INVOLVED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN ALL EFFORTS WITHIN THIS GROUP DURING THE LEGACY SCIENCE PROGRAM. THIS INCLUDES THE ONGOING REDUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF NICER DATA COLLECTED FOR THE TOP MILLISECOND PULSARS SELECTED AS TARGETS FOR CONSTRAINTS ON THE NEUTRON STAR MASS-RADIUS RELATION AND THE DENSE MATTER EQUATION OF STATE. DR. BOGDANOV WILL CONTINUE WITH ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION OF NEW TARGETS SUITABLE FOR LIGHT CURVE MODELING WRITING OF INTERNAL DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORANDA AND PUBLICATION OF NICER SCIENCE RESULTS RELATED TO THE MEASUREMENT OF THE MASS-RADIUS RELATION OF NEUTRON STARS. THE POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW WILL BE TASKED WITH CONDUCTING PORTIONS OF THE DATA PROCESSING AND REDUCTION DEVELOPING NEW AND IMPROVING EXISTING ANALYSIS TOOLS AND CARRYING OUT SOME OF THE INFERENCE ANALYSES ON THE REDUCED NICER DATA. THE ACTIVITIES WITHIN THIS WORKING GROUP ARE AIMED AT ENSURING THAT NICER ACHIEVES THE GOAL OF CONSTRAINING THE RADII OF SEVERAL NEUTRON STARS TO A PRECISION OF 5%. ULTIMATELY WE WILL USE THESE MEASUREMENTS TO MAKE VALUABLE INFERENCES REGARDING THE EQUATION OF STATE OF COLD SUPRA-NUCLEAR MATTER WHICH REMAINS ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS IN MODERN PHYSICS.