Gravitation Physics and Relativistic Astrophysics

该奖项资助相对论天体物理学和广义相对论中几个不同主题的理论研究。其中一个重点是探索新发现的涉及黑洞的守恒定律，以及它们对量子引力中深层次和鲜为人知的问题的影响，例如斯蒂芬·霍金发现的信息损失悖论。第二个重点是广义相对论检验和激光干涉仪引力波观测站探测到的引力辐射源，以及未来的天基探测器可能探测到的引力辐射源。由该奖项资助的引力波来源的理论研究将有助于探测来自黑洞和其他来源的信号，并有助于对它们的解释。引力波研究可以告诉我们引力的本质，黑洞的性质，以及早期宇宙的性质。更详细地说，该奖项的主要研究课题是：(I)利用解析和数值方法相结合的方法，计算激发到旋转黑洞的点粒子的引力波形；(Ii)推广Wald和Zoupas的数学形式主义，以发展对涉及黑洞软毛的守恒定律的全面描述和理解，以及(Iii)调查这些定律对黑洞的量子蒸发和落入黑洞的信息的最终命运的后果。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award funds theoretical research in several different topics in relativistic astrophysics and general relativity. One focus is the exploration of newly discovered conservation laws involving black holes, and their implications for deep and poorly understood issues in quantum gravity such as the information loss paradox discovered by Stephen Hawking. A second focus is on tests of general relativity and on sources of gravitational radiation that have been detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) and that might be detected by future space based detectors. Theoretical studies of sources of gravitational waves funded by this award will be useful to aid detection of signals from black holes and other sources, and also to aid in their interpretation. Gravitational wave studies can tell us about the nature of gravity, properties of black holes, and properties of the early Universe.In more detail, the principal research topics of this award are: (i) The development of methods to compute the gravitational waveforms from point particles inspiralling into spinning black holes, using a combination of analytical and numerical approaches; (ii) Generalizing the mathematical formalism of Wald and Zoupas to develop a comprehensive description and understanding of conservation laws involving soft hair on black holes, and (iii) investigating the consequences of these laws for the quantum evaporation of black holes and the ultimate fate of information that falls into black holes.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.