Testing GR with GWs

21.06.2019 14:15 – 15:15

Two pivotal breakthroughs in physics recently turned respectable centennials: the discovery of the Schwarzschild
solution, describing a non-rotating black hole, and Einstein's prediction of gravitational waves. Gravitational waves offer
a unique glimpse into the unseen universe, and allow us to test the
basic tenets of General Relativity, some of which have been taken for granted without observations: are gravitons massless?
Are black holes the simplest possible macroscopic objects? do event horizons and black holes really exist, or is their
formation halted by some as-yet unknown mechanism? Do singularities arise in our universe as the outcome of violent collisions? Can
gravitational waves carry information about the nature of the elusive dark matter?In this talk, I will describe the science encoded in a
gravitational wave signal and what the upcoming years might have in store regarding fundamental physics and gravitational waves.

Lieu

Bâtiment: Ecole de Physique

Auditoire Stueckelberg

entrée libre