Theoretical Studies in Gravitation and Astrophysics

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The PI will address several problems involving general relativity,the generation of gravitational radiation, relativistichydrodynamics, radiative transport, and stellar dynamics.A common thread uniting the different theoretical topics is the crucial role of gravitation, especially relativisticgravitation as described by Einstein's field equations ofgeneral relativity. Compact objects (black holes and neutron stars) will provide the principal forum, and the understanding the dynamics of matter in a strong gravitational field will be a major theme. Some of the topics that will be investigated include the inspiral and coalescence of binary neutron stars and black holes, the generation of gravitational waves from binaries and other promising astrophysical sources of gravitational radiation, gravitational collapse, the stability of rotating neutron stars and supermassive stars and the final fate of unstable stars, and the formation of supermassive black holes in the cores of galaxies and quasars. Most of the topics that will be addressed represent long-standing, fundamental problems in theoreticalphysics requiring large-scale computation for solution. Hence the approach will involve to a significant degreelarge-scale computations on parallel machines, as well as analytical modeling. Many of the numerical calculations will be carried out using the computational resources of the UIUC's National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Utilizing and developing new algorithms for these computers and visualization tools will help advancestate-of-the art computing in the US. The results of the calculations will have an important bearing on forthcoming astronomical observations, including those planned for gravitational wave interferometers, such as LIGO and LISA. The theoretical modeling of gravitational waveforms which will be performed by Shapiro and his group will provideessential input for the identification of sources ofgravitational radiation by these instruments.