About

Adam Burrows is a Full Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University, serving as the Director of the Princeton Planets and Life Certificate Program. He received his undergraduate degree in Physics from Princeton and his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His primary research interests include supernova theory, exoplanet and brown dwarf theory, planetary atmospheres, computational astrophysics, and nuclear astrophysics. He has developed tools and methodologies such as numerical hydrodynamics, radiative transfer, nuclear and particle physics, chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, equations of state of exotic matter, and magnetohydrodynamics to support his studies. Burrows is recognized as a pioneer in the theory of exoplanets, brown dwarfs, and supernovae, having authored numerous fundamental and influential papers and reviews over the past 35 years. He has collaborated with more than 250 co-authors on over 400 papers and has delivered more than 400 invited talks and colloquia. His contributions to the field have earned him memberships in the National Academy of Sciences, fellowships in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Physical Society. He has held several leadership roles, including founding Director of Princeton's Planets and Life Certificate Program, member of the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Center for Physics, and fellow of the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science. Burrows has also served on numerous committees and advisory boards related to physics and astronomy, including the NRC's Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics, the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics Advisory Board, and NASA's strategic planning committees. Currently, he serves on the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council of the NAS and on the Physics Policy Committee of the APS.

Research topics

• Astrophysics
• Physics
• Astronomy
• Theoretical physics
• Mechanics
• Particle physics

Selected publications

• The Next Generation Global Gravitational Wave Observatory: The Science Book

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2021 · 47 citations

  • Physics
  • Astronomy
  • Astrophysics

  The next generation of ground-based gravitational-wave detectors will observe coalescences of black holes and neutron stars throughout the cosmos, thousands of them with exceptional fidelity. The Science Book is the result of a 3-year effort to study the science capabilities of networks of next generation detectors. Such networks would make it possible to address unsolved problems in numerous areas of physics and astronomy, from Cosmology to Beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, and how they could provide insights into workings of strongly gravitating systems, astrophysics of compact objects and the nature of dense matter. It is inevitable that observatories of such depth and finesse will make new discoveries inaccessible to other windows of observation. In addition to laying out the rich science potential of the next generation of detectors, this report provides specific science targets in five different areas in physics and astronomy and the sensitivity requirements to accomplish those science goals. This report is the second in a six part series of reports by the GWIC 3G Subcommittee: i) Expanding the Reach of Gravitational Wave Observatories to the Edge of the Universe, ii) The Next Generation Global Gravitational Wave Observatory: The Science Book (this report), iii) 3G R&D: R&D for the Next Generation of Ground-based Gravitational Wave Detectors, iv) Gravitational Wave Data Analysis: Computing Challenges in the 3G Era, v) Future Ground-based Gravitational-wave Observatories: Synergies with Other Scientific Communities, and vi) An Exploration of Possible Governance Models for the Future Global Gravitational-Wave Observatory Network.

  DOI

• The missing link in gravitational-wave astronomy: discoveries waiting in the decihertz range

  Classical and Quantum Gravity · 2020 · 135 citations

  • Physics
  • Astronomy
  • Astrophysics

  The gravitational-wave astronomical revolution began in 2015 with LIGO's observation of the coalescence of two stellar-mass black holes. Over the coming decades, ground-based detectors like LIGO will extend their reach, discovering thousands of stellar-mass binaries. In the 2030s, the space-based LISA will enable gravitational-wave observations of the massive black holes in galactic centres. Between LISA and ground-based observatories lies the unexplored decihertz gravitational-wave frequency band. Here, we propose a Decihertz Observatory to cover this band, and complement observations made by other gravitational-wave observatories. The decihertz band is uniquely suited to observation of intermediate-mass ($\\sim 10^2-10^4$ M$_\\odot$) black holes, which may form the missing link between stellar-mass and massive black holes, offering a unique opportunity to measure their properties. Decihertz observations will be able to detect stellar-mass binaries days to years before they merge and are observed by ground-based detectors, providing early warning of nearby binary neutron star mergers, and enabling measurements of the eccentricity of binary black holes, providing revealing insights into their formation. Observing decihertz gravitational-waves also opens the possibility of testing fundamental physics in a new laboratory, permitting unique tests of general relativity and the Standard Model of particle physics. Overall, a Decihertz Observatory will answer key questions about how black holes form and evolve across cosmic time, open new avenues for multimessenger astronomy, and advance our understanding of gravitation, particle physics and cosmology.

  DOI

• Neutrino oscillations in supernovae: Angular moments and fast instabilities

  Physical review. D/Physical review. D. · 2020 · 134 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Physics
  • Astrophysics
  • Particle physics

  Recent theoretical work indicates that the neutrino radiation in core-collapse supernovae may be susceptible to flavor instabilities that set in far behind the shock, grow extremely rapidly, and have the potential to profoundly affect supernova dynamics and composition. Here we analyze the nonlinear collective oscillations that are prefigured by these instabilities. We demonstrate that a zero crossing in ${n}_{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{e}}\ensuremath{-}{n}_{{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}}$ as a function of propagation angle is not sufficient to generate instability. Our analysis accounts for this fact and allows us to formulate complementary criteria. Using fornax simulation data, we show that fast collective oscillations qualitatively depend on how forward peaked the neutrino angular distributions are.

  DOI

Recent grants

• Three-Dimensional Simulations of Core-Collapse Supernovae

  NSF · $8k · 2018–2020

• Multi-Dimensional Simulations of Core-Collapse Supernovae

  NSF · $242k · 2005–2009

• Solutions to the Core-Collapse Supernova Problem from Theory

  NSF · $407k · 2017–2022

Frequent coauthors

• Drake Deming

  81 shared

• Jonathan J. Fortney

  University of California, Santa Cruz

  71 shared

• Christian D. Ott

  69 shared

• David Vartanyan

  Carnegie Observatories

  69 shared

• Heather A. Knutson

  California Institute of Technology

  64 shared

• David Charbonneau

  64 shared

• J. I. Lunine

  Cornell University

  63 shared

• W. B. Hubbard

  University of Arizona

  58 shared

Labs

• Learning the Universe Simons CollaborationPI

Education

• Ph.D., Physics

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Awards & honors

• 2010 Beatrice M. Tinsley Centennial Professor
• Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sc…
• Fellow of the American Physical Society
• Alfred P. Sloan Fellow

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