NSF OPAL - A Design Project to Explore Physics Under Extreme Conditions

Explore the NSF OPAL design project focused on understanding physics under extreme conditions around black holes and neutron stars in this 25-minute conference talk. Learn how exotic relativistic astrophysical objects exhibit spectacular phenomena that challenge current understanding of plasma processes, including recent observational discoveries like the first images of accreting black holes and enigmatic Fast Radio Bursts. Discover how classic nonlinear plasma processes such as magnetic reconnection and shocks operate under extreme conditions where relativistic, radiative, and QED physical effects become crucial. Understand the interdisciplinary approach required to tackle these challenges, bringing together observational and theoretical high-energy astrophysicists, plasma theorists, computational physicists, and laser-plasma experimentalists. Gain insights into the current progress in extreme plasma physics research, promising strategic directions for future investigations, and prospects for novel laboratory studies that could provide key physics insights into the behavior of extreme plasmas around the most fascinating objects in the universe.