Abstract: In general relativity, masslessness of gravitons can be traced to symmetry under diffeomorphisms. However, another elegant possibility exists: masslessness can instead arise from spontaneous violation of local Lorentz invariance. We construct the corresponding theory of gravity.
Abstract: This talk presents a brief overview of numerical relativity simulations of two scenarios of relativistic astrophysics which are among the most important sources of gravitational radiation.
Abstract: The gauge/gravity duality has been used to describe so-called holographic superconductors and superfluids with the help of black holes and solitons in Anti-de Sitter space-time. In this talk, I will mainly discuss holographic superconductors and superfluids away from the probe limit, i.e. taking backreaction of the space-time into account.
The Essay "A new spin on black hole hair", by C. Herdeiro and E. Radu, was selected for an "Honorable Mention" in the Gravity Research Foundation 2014 Awards for Essays on Gravitation. The first prize was awarded to M. Krauss and (Nobel Laureate) F. Wilczek, for the essay "From B-modes to Quantum Gravity and Unification of Forces". See the list of all prized essays here.
"Black holes have no hair" - is a famous `mantra' coined by John Wheeler in 1971, to express that astrophysical black holes should all have very similar physical properties. In a paper to appear in Physical Review Letters, however, Gr@v researchers C. Herdeiro and E. Radu showed that actually astrophysical black holes need not be bald!
Abstract: We obtain a general formula for the low frequency absorption cross section of spherically symmetric black holes in d dimensions including leading string-theoretical alpha'-corrections.
Mengjie Wang, Ph.D. student at Gr@v, has received a "Chinese Government Award for outstanding self-financed students abroad", granted by the Ministry of Education of China. Congratulations Mengjie!
Abstract: We discuss the importance backreaction in flux compactifications of 10-dimensional supergravity. We will review the ideas of flux compactifications and construct exact backreacted solutions, using the concrete example of supersymmetric domain wall in 7-dimensional gauged supergravity.
Our group coordinated the "Numerical Relativity and High Energy Physics" IRSES network (2012-2015). Here is a list of the global network meetings organized:
