Testing General Relativity principles with Neutron Stars, Black Holes, and Gravitational Waves

爱因斯坦的广义相对论和量子物理学是目前公认的描述宇宙物理的理论。广义相对论是对观测到的引力现象的全面描述，范围从微米到可见宇宙的大小。量子物理学高度精确地描述了分子、原子和亚原子的状态。尽管取得了成功，但宇宙学和量子引力中仍有未解决的问题，因此世界各地的物理学家推测，这两种理论将合并成某种未知的统一理论。最近的科学文献表明，实验和观察可能会发现广义相对论基础的违反。这些基本原理包括时空对称的概念。例如，根据广义相对论，局部实验不应该偏向于空间中的任何特殊方向。然而，量子引力模型表明，这一原理可能以一种微小但可探测的方式被打破。该奖项支持的工作涉及实验和观测中时空对称性破缺信号的理论计算。重点将是利用天体物理现象，如黑洞和引力波。该奖项的一个重要方面是为本科生的理论研究提供财政支持。这不仅有助于PI的工作，而且还为学生提供研究经验，从而有助于他们的教育，增加未来STEM职业的可能性。此外，学校也支持学生和PI的外展活动。该奖项中关于广义相对论基础测试的工作将使用基于有效场论的广泛测试框架。时空对称违反的信号，如局部洛伦兹违反和微分对称违反，将计算黑洞和引力波。在有效场论框架内，将构造由一般时空对称违反修正的黑洞时空度规的强场引力解，代表着该领域的新进展。研究对引力波产生的修正，以补充现有的传播效应分析。这项工作与寻找可以通过实验和观察来检验的具体可观察物密切相关。因此，该奖项支持的理论工作将提供动力和额外的领域，以寻找超越广义相对论的新物理学，特别是在引力波观测方面。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Einstein's General Relativity and quantum physics are the currently accepted theories describing physics across the universe. General Relativity is a comprehensive description of observed gravitational phenomena on scales ranging from micrometers to the size of the visible universe. Quantum physics describes, to a high degree of precision, the molecular, atomic and subatomic regime. Despite the success, unresolved questions remain in cosmology and quantum gravity, and so physicists worldwide conjecture that the two theories are merged in some unknown unified theory. Recent scientific literature reveals that experiments and observation could possibly find violations in the foundations of General Relativity theory. Such foundational principles include the notion of spacetime symmetry. For example, local experiments should not favor any special direction in space, according to General Relativity. However, models of quantum gravity suggest that this principle may be broken in a miniscule but detectable way. The work supported by this award involves theoretical calculations of signals for spacetime symmetry breaking in experiments and observations. The focus will be on using astrophysical phenomena like black holes and gravitational waves. One of the important aspects of this award is financial support for undergraduate research in theory. This has the impactful feature of not only assisting the PI in the work, but also giving research experience to students, thus contributing to their education and increasing the likelihood of future STEM careers. Outreach opportunities by the PI and students are also supported.The work in this award on tests of the foundations of General Relativity will use a broad test framework, based on effective field theory. Signals for spacetime-symmetry violations, like local Lorentz violation and diffeomorphism symmetry violation, will be calculated for black holes and gravitational waves. Within the effective field theory framework, strong-field gravity solutions for the spacetime metric for black holes, modified by generic spacetime-symmetry violation, will be constructed, representing a new step forward in this area. Modification to gravitational wave generation is to be studied, complementing existing analysis on propagation effects. The work is closely tied to finding specific observables that can be tested against experiments and observations. Thus, the award supports theoretical work that will provide motivation and additional areas in which to search for new physics beyond General Relativity, in particular, in gravitational wave observations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.