[Paper Review] CompOSE Reference Manual

S. Typel, Micaela Oertel+11 more|HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)|Mar 7, 2022

Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae4 citations

TL;DR

CompOSE is a comprehensive, open-access online repository and software framework for equations of state (EoS) in nuclear and astrophysics, enabling standardized storage, interpolation, and analysis of thermodynamic, compositional, and transport properties of dense matter. It supports core-collapse supernova and neutron star merger simulations through downloadable tools, web-based interpolation, and extensible data formats with full documentation and citation tracking.

ABSTRACT

CompOSE (CompStar Online Supernovae Equations of State) is an online repository of equations of state (EoS) for use in nuclear physics and astrophysics, e.g., in the description of compact stars or the simulation of core-collapse supernovae and neutron-star mergers, see http://compose.obspm.fr. The main services, offered via the website, are: a collection of data tables in a flexible and easily extendable data format for different EoS types and related physical quantities with extensive documentation and referencing; software for download to extract and to interpolate these data and to calculate additional quantities; webtools to generate EoS tables that are customized to the needs of the users and to illustrate dependencies of various EoS quantities in graphical form. This manual is an update of previous versions that are available on the CompOSE website, at arXiv:1307.5715 [astro-ph.SR], and that was originally published in the journal "Physics of Particles and Nuclei" with doi:10.1134/S1063779615040061. It contains a detailed description of the service, containing a general introduction as well as instructions for potential contributors and for users. Short versions of the manual for EoS users and providers will also be available as separate publications.

Motivation & Objective

• To establish a unified, accessible, and extensible online repository for equations of state (EoS) used in nuclear physics and astrophysics.
• To standardize data formats and metadata for EoS tables to ensure consistency, reproducibility, and interoperability across simulations.
• To provide users with software tools for interpolation, data extraction, and calculation of derived physical quantities from EoS tables.
• To enable contributors to upload and share EoS models with full documentation, parameterization, and referencing.
• To support advanced astrophysical simulations by offering customized EoS tables and web-based visualization tools for thermodynamic and transport properties.

Proposed method

• Implementation of a modular, extensible data format for storing EoS tables with thermodynamic, compositional, microscopic, and transport properties.
• Development of a Fortran-based software library (compose.f90) for reading, interpolating, and computing EoS quantities using one- and two-dimensional interpolation schemes.
• Integration of web-based tools for generating customized EoS tables and visualizing dependencies of physical quantities.
• Use of HDF5 for efficient data storage and retrieval, supporting high-precision tabulated values and metadata.
• Adoption of standardized units, physical constants, and notation to ensure consistency across models and contributors.
• Incorporation of beta-equilibrium calculations and nuclear matter parameter extraction to support compact star modeling.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can a standardized, community-driven repository for equations of state improve reproducibility and interoperability in nuclear and astrophysical simulations?
• RQ2 What software infrastructure is required to enable efficient interpolation and computation of EoS properties across diverse physical conditions?
• RQ3 How can web-based tools and downloadable software facilitate access to EoS data for both contributors and end-users?
• RQ4 What data format and metadata structure ensure long-term maintainability and extensibility of EoS tables?
• RQ5 How can the integration of thermodynamic, compositional, and transport properties in a single framework support simulations of core-collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers?

Key findings

• CompOSE provides a standardized, open-access platform for equations of state with full documentation, metadata, and software tools, enhancing reproducibility and collaboration in nuclear and astrophysical research.
• The software suite, including the Fortran library compose.f90, enables accurate interpolation of EoS data across multiple dimensions using flexible, documented routines.
• Webtools allow users to generate customized EoS tables and visualize dependencies of thermodynamic and transport properties, supporting tailored astrophysical simulations.
• The repository supports multiple EoS types, including thermodynamic, compositional, microscopic, and transport data, with extensible table structures and parameterization.
• The system enables calculation of derived quantities such as nuclear matter parameters and compact star properties (e.g., mass-radius relations) from raw EoS tables.
• CompOSE ensures traceability by linking each EoS table to its original scientific publication and providing citation guidelines, including references to key publications like Oertel et al. (2017) and Typel et al. (2015).