Relativistic Gravitation and Astrophysics

在实验、天体物理学和宇宙学的背景下，对广义相对论的潜在可观察结果的研究正在继续和扩展。使用广义相对论的高阶后牛顿近似，将继续研究致密物体（中子星或黑洞）双星系统的吸气和合并以及发出的引力辐射。这一结果对美国激光干涉引力天文台（LIGO）具有重要意义。威尔教授将研究利用目前的观测和最小的理论假设，为后牛顿公制引力建立一个完整观测界的可能性。对爱因斯坦等效原理的测试研究将继续进行，包括对单向光速的各向同性的测试，以及使用被困原子的非对称时空度量的测试。将研究大质量标量场的宇宙学效应，它与引力的耦合产生了一个快速振荡的牛顿耦合常数，以及在“压缩”量子态中从非常早期的宇宙中出现的残余引力扰动的影响。

Studies are continued and extended of the potentially observable consequences of the general theory of relativity, in experimental, astrophysical and cosmological contexts. A study of the inspiral and coalescence of binary systems of compact objects (neutron stars or black holes) and of the gravitational radiation emitted will be continued, using high- order post-Newtonian approximations to general relativity. The results will be of importance to the U.S. Laser Interferometric Gravitational Observatory (LIGO). Professor Will will study the possibility of placing a complete observational bound on post-Newtonian metric gravity using current observations and minimal theoretical assumptions. Studies of tests of the Einstein equivalence principle will continue, including tests of the isotropy of the one-way speed of light and tests of a nonsymmetric spacetime metric using trapped atoms. The cosmological effects of massive scalar fields, whose coupling to gravity produces a rapidly oscillating Newtonian coupling constant will be studied, as will the effects of relic gravitational perturbations emerging from the very early universe in "squeezed" quantum states.