Matthew D. Duez

Matthew D. Duez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Washington State University, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. He leads the WSU Numerical Relativity (NR) group and is a key member of the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) collaboration, a multi-institutional effort focused on simulating compact binary mergers. His research is central to advancing our understanding of gravitational wave sources, multimessenger astronomy, and the behavior of matter under extreme gravity.

His primary research interests lie in numerical relativity, particularly the dynamics of black hole-neutron star binaries and binary neutron stars. His work explores the full lifecycle of these mergers, including inspiral, merger, gravitational wave emission, dynamical ejecta, accretion disk formation, and neutrino transport. He is especially interested in systems with high black hole spin and low mass ratios, where the neutron star is tidally disrupted before final plunge. His simulations incorporate realistic equations of state, magnetic fields, and neutrino physics to model electromagnetic counterparts like kilonovae and short gamma-ray bursts. He also investigates turbulence, subgrid modeling, and angular momentum transport in accretion flows, addressing fundamental challenges in high-Reynolds-number astrophysical fluids.

The recent publications highlight a strong focus on momentum transport models, accretion disk evolution, and comparative studies of numerical methods in general relativistic hydrodynamics. His work bridges theoretical general relativity and observational multimessenger astrophysics, providing critical waveform templates and predictions for detectors like LIGO and Virgo.

Matthew Duez has been supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA, reflecting the dual importance of his work for gravitational physics and multimessenger astronomy. He mentors graduate students and encourages those interested in numerical relativity to explore research opportunities in his group. He is also affiliated with another relativity group at WSU led by Prof. Sukanta Bose, which is more directly connected to LIGO-Virgo observations.

His research group utilizes advanced computational tools, including the Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC), to simulate extreme spacetimes. The group's work contributes to understanding the generation of r-process elements, the nature of hypermassive neutron stars, and the conditions for black hole formation after merger. The emphasis on secular evolution, driven by neutrino cooling and magnetorotational instability (MRI), underscores the long-term dynamics of post-merger remnants.