Abstract: Sun-like oscillations have been discovered in five hundred main sequence and sub-giant stars and in more than twelve thousand red giant stars in the solar neighbourhood. In this talk, I will argue how this network of natural detectors could be used to probe fundamental physics, including dark matter and gravitational waves. Moreover, these star detectors can complement the experimental research done on Earth. Moreover, this observational network of stars could be used to make other type of gravity tests, as unlike experimental detectors, it should be possible to follow the progression of gravitational waves throughout space. The continuous observation and monitoring of the oscillation spectra of the stars around us, within a sphere of up to one thousand parsecs, could help on the discovery of gravitational waves originating in our Galaxy or even elsewhere in the Universe.
Ilidio Lopes (CENTRA - IST)
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This seminar is supported by Portuguese Funds through the CIDMA - Centre for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications, and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology ("FCT" - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), within the project UID/MAT/04106/2013.
