Gravitational Waves, Radiation Reaction, and Black Hole Systems

引力波是时空结构中的涟漪。将研究黑洞的引力波发射。 黑洞也许是已知天体物理宇宙中最不寻常的物体。黑洞（或中子星）的近距离双星系统发射引力波并损失能量，同时黑洞相互绕轨道运行并缓慢向内螺旋。一颗星星在围绕超大质量黑洞的高度偏心轨道上的看似随机的轨道，实际上可以通过仔细的理论分析跟踪数千个轨道。在这样的系统中发射的引力波的细节将在理论上确定，基于我们对引力和天体物理学的最佳理解。在黑洞双星系统的许多轨道期间发射的引力波的特征的详细知识极大地帮助正在进行的实验努力来观测引力波。 同样重要的是，这些知识也允许解释观测结果，一旦它们被做了，并提供了一个探索最强的引力场可以想象与前所未有的信息戏剧性的天体物理系统，和引力理论。此外，对黑洞双星系统引力波的探测将为宇宙打开一扇新的窗口，激发学生对科学和数学各个领域的兴趣，并激发每个公民的想象力。

Gravitational waves are ripples in the very fabric of spacetime. The emission of gravitational waves from black holes will be investigated. Black holes are, perhaps, the most unusual objects in the known astrophysical universe. A close binary system of black holes (or neutron stars) emits gravitational waves and loses energy while the holes orbit each other and slowly spiral inwards. The seemingly random trajectory of a star in an highly eccentric orbit about a supermassive black hole can actually be followed for thousands of orbits by use of careful theoretical analysis. The details of the emitted gravitational waves in such systems will be determined theoretically, based upon our best understanding of gravity and astrophysics.Detailed knowledge of the features of the gravitational waves emitted during many orbits of a black hole binary system greatly aids the ongoing experimental effort to observe gravitational waves. Equally importantly, this knowledge also allows interpretation of the observations, once they are made, and provides a probe into the strongest gravitational fields imaginable with unprecedented information about dramatic astrophysical systems, and the theory of gravity. Further, the detection of gravitational waves from black hole binary systems will open a new window on the universe, stir up interest for students in all areas of science and mathematics and capture the imagination of every citizen.