Thesis

BH&CSLab - Black Holes and Compact Stars as Laboratory to test alternative theories of gravity

• Call:

  IDPASC Portugal - PHD Programme 2019

• Academic Year:

  2019 / 2020

• Domains:

  General Relativity | Astrophysics

• Supervisor:

  Daniele Vernieri

• Co-Supervisor:

  Daniela Doneva

• Institution:

  Faculdade de Ciências - Universidade de Lisboa

• Host Institution:

  Faculdade de Ciências - Universidade de Lisboa / University of Tübingen

• Abstract:

  General Relativity (GR) is the most elegant attempt to describe the gravity force. Tested to exquisite precision in the weak-field regime, it might be not sufficient for describing the final stages of gravitational collapse and more in general high-energy astrophysical events. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of gravitation seems to be a necessary ingredient for solving almost any other major challenge in fundamental physics. A strong breakthrough is then required in order to investigate new scenarios especially at energy regimes where GR loses its predictability. An outstanding chance is given by the detections of gravitational waves (GWs) which has opened a new era to test the fundamental nature of gravity at its strongest and matter at its densest in some of the most extreme environments in the cosmos. The goal of the project will be to unveil the fundamental nature of gravity through phenomenological investigations, theoretical modeling and numerical analysis of alternative theories of gravity using black holes and compact stars as laboratory in order to fully test the dynamics of gravity theories and to probe the spacetime geometry in strong-field regime. This work will thus pave the way for extracting useful information from past and future GWs detections.