" Probing Extreme Gravity with Black Holes and Neutron Stars"


Kent Yagi , Princeton University
[Host: Peter Arnold]
ABSTRACT:

Black holes and neutron stars are extremely compact astrophysical objects that are produced after the death of very massive stars. Due to their large compactness and population, such compact objects offer us excellent testbeds for probing fundamental physics. In this talk, I will focus on probing extreme (strong and dynamical-field) gravity that was previously inaccessible. Regarding black hole based tests of gravity, I will explain how stringently one can probe various fundamental pillars in General Relativity with the recently-discovered gravitational wave events. Regarding neutron star based tests of gravity, I will use approximate universal relations ("I-Love-Q relations") among certain neutron star observables that are almost insensitive to the unknown stellar internal structure, and describe how one can probe extreme gravity by combining future gravitational wave and binary pulsar observations. I will conclude with a summary of important future directions.

SLIDESHOW:
Colloquium
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
3:30 PM
Physics Building, Room 204
Note special date.
Note special room.

Special Colloquium


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