Theoretical Studies in Gravitation and Astrophysics

PI将处理几个问题，包括广义相对论、引力辐射的产生、相对论流体动力学、辐射输运和恒星动力学。连接不同理论主题的一个共同点是引力的关键作用，特别是相对论——爱因斯坦广义相对论的场方程所描述的引力。紧凑物体（黑洞和中子星）将提供主要论坛，而理解强引力场中的物质动力学将是一个主要主题。将研究的一些主题包括双中子星和黑洞的启发和合并，从双星和其他有前途的天体物理引力辐射源产生引力波，引力坍缩，旋转中子星和超大质量恒星的稳定性以及不稳定恒星的最终命运，以及星系和类星体核心中超大质量黑洞的形成。大多数将要讨论的主题都代表了理论物理学中长期存在的、需要大规模计算来解决的基本问题。因此，该方法将在很大程度上涉及并行机器上的大规模计算，以及分析建模。许多数值计算将使用UIUC的国家超级计算应用中心（NCSA）的计算资源进行。利用和开发这些计算机和可视化工具的新算法将有助于在美国推进最先进的计算。计算结果将对即将到来的天文观测产生重要影响，包括那些计划用于引力波干涉仪的观测，如LIGO和LISA。夏皮罗和他的团队将对重力波形进行理论建模，这将为这些仪器识别重力辐射源提供必要的输入。

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.