Speaker: Taillte May (CENTRA, IST)
Title: Black hole perturbations beyond the leading order
Abstract: Understanding and quantifying beyond leading order effects enables more accurate tests of General Relativity and of physics beyond the Standard Model. Here I discuss vacuum gravitational perturbations as well as superradiant scalar, vector, and tensor boson perturbations. First, I explore the nonlinear behavior of gravitational perturbations on a Kerr black hole. The ringdown gravitational wave signal, during the final stage of binary black hole mergers, contains important information about the properties of the remnant black hole, and can be used to perform clean tests of general relativity. However, interpreting the loudest portion of the ringdown signal requires understanding the role of nonlinearities and their potential impact on modeling this phase using quasinormal modes. Next, I discuss nonlinear effects in beyond the standard model particle dynamics around black holes. Oscillating clouds of ultralight bosons can grow around spinning black holes through superradiance. This makes black hole observations powerful probes of ultralight bosonic fields. Understanding and modelling nonlinear effects is important in accurately testing the existence of these fields.
Room: Sala de Reuniões e Seminários (2-8.3, 2nd Floor of Physics Building)