Gravity Seminars Next Term

Thanks to recent gravitational wave (GW) observations, we have detected nearly one hundred GW signals from binary black hole (BH) coalescences. These data provide an excellent opportunity to test general relativity (GR), the standard theory of gravity, as they contain rich information about the strong-field regime. In addition to the current ground-based detectors, LISA, a space-based GW observatory, is planned to launch in the next decade. It is expected to probe new physics beyond the reach of existing detectors, such as the collisions of supermassive BHs.

In this talk, I will focus on two main topics: (1) testing GR in the merger phase, and (2) the ringdown of supermassive BHs. For the first topic, I will discuss the theoretical and data analysis challenges in the merger phase, and present our recent studies on testing GR in this phase. For the second, in anticipation of future GW observations with LISA, I will show that the ringdown of supermassive BHs—particularly those resulting from intermediate mass-ratio mergers involving rapidly spinning BHs—can serve as a powerful probe of physics beyond GR.