Gravitational Waves as Probes of Strong-Field Gravity

Abstract: The first observations of gravitational waves (GWs) from the coalescence of a black-hole binary in 2015 and a neutron-star binary in 2017 heralded the beginning of a new era in experimental gravity. In just 5 years, the detection of GWs has evolved from virtually non-existent to a weekly business and has led to a plethora of results with implications for fundamental physics, astrophysics and cosmology. In this talk, I will give an overview of the GW events detected so far by LIGO and Virgo and will describe how these can be used to probe the true nature of gravity and test general relativity (GR) to unprecedented levels. I will focus on an array of methods developed exactly for this purpose and will give an update on their latest results, with the analysis of signals from compact binaries, detected in the first three observing runs of the Advanced LIGO-Virgo network of detectors. If time allows, I will briefly discuss the prospects of testing the predictions of GR with future GW detectors, including upgrades and extensions of the current network, 3rd generation ground-based interferometers and future space-bound detectors.

general relativity and quantum cosmologyHEP - latticeHEP - phenomenologyHEP - theorymathematical physics

Audience: researchers in the topic

High Energy Theory, Gravity and Cosmology Seminars @ NTUA