Radiation Reaction, Orbital Evolution, and Emitted Gravitational Waveforms from Extreme-Mass-Ratio Binaries, and Wave Extraction for Numerical relativity

该奖项支持引力波相关主题的理论研究。其中之一是对极端质量比双吸气特性的研究，其中一个恒星质量黑洞围绕一个超大质量黑洞运行，发射引力波，并最终落入其中。这样的系统可能成为激光干涉仪空间天线（LISA）的重要光源。精确计算恒星质量黑洞的轨道和产生的引力辐射需要提高对爱因斯坦广义相对论中基本问题的理解，比如由于引力辐射而对小黑洞产生的“自作用力”，以及它如何改变轨道。另一个项目是开发一种方法，从（质量相当的）双黑洞系统的大规模数值模拟中提取引力波。更好地了解引力波的来源和波形将最大限度地提高目前正在运行的地面引力波探测器和未来的天基探测器所提供的发现机会。本科生和研究生将参与本研究。PI计划继续他的公共宣传项目，并参与附近的少数民族服务机构。

This award supports theoretical research on topics related to gravitational waves. One of these is a study of the properties of extreme mass ratio binary inspirals where a stellar mass black hole orbits a supermassive black hole, emits gravitational waves, and eventually falls in. Such a system could be an important source for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) . Accurate calculation of the orbit of the stellar mass black hole and of the gravitational radiation produced require improved understanding of fundamental issues in Einstein's theory of general relativity such as the "self-force" on the small black hole due to the gravitational radiation it emits and how that changes the orbit. Another project is to develop a method to extract gravitational waveforms from large scale numerical simulations of (comparable mass) binary black hole systems. Better understanding of gravitational wave sources and waveforms will maximize the discovery opportunities presented by ground-based gravitational wave detectors now operating and future space-based detectors. Undergraduate and graduate students will participate in this research. The PI plans to continue his program of public outreach and his involvement with nearby minority serving institutions.