Problems in Gravitation

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

***9800725MatznerThis proposal is to support the work of PI Prof. Richard Matzner, for a range of problems in classical gravity, including cosmology, black hole physics, and gravitational wave physics. The work will be done utilizing a variety of analytical, approximate, and computational methods. They will continue investigation of black hole interactions and the gravitational radiation produced in these interactions. These interactions will be modeled using existing computer codes, and these codes will also be extended to describe the formation of black holes in cosmological settings. These black hole investigations are important cosmologically because it seems from astronomical observations that most or all galaxies contain a black hole within them. Further, cosmological evidence shows that many or most galaxies have undergone merger, suggesting that their black holes may have merged. There are planned experiments to detect gravitational radiation from spaceborne detectors, which would be sensitive to such mergers. The same computational description will also apply to stellar-mass black hole systems, which may be the strongest signals first detected in the (ground based) LIGO detector, which is currently under construction. Accurate prediction of expected gravitational waves allows a more precise search and, therefore, greater sensitivity in the observation of such signals. Further, the understanding of these signals will have a direct connection to understanding the phenomena that caused them and will shed new light on the behavior of strong field gravity.***