Testing General Relativity with Black Hole Mergers - IPAM at UCLA

Explore the cutting-edge research on testing general relativity through black hole mergers in this 46-minute lecture by Frans Pretorius of Princeton University. Delve into the challenges of extracting stringent constraints from LIGO/Virgo observations and the obstacles in predicting waveforms for modified gravity theories. Examine numerical approaches to assess the viability of beyond-GR constructions, including gravitational collapse in Einstein-dilaton-Gauss-Bonnet gravity and the dynamical stability of AdS black bubbles. Gain insights into strong field general relativity, self-consistency tests, and the complexities of non-perturbative gravity beyond current models. Discover the intricacies of modified geometry, modified matter, and two-way traversable wormhole mergers. Analyze the Einstein/Klein-Gordon/Hydrodynamic code, internal flux, and metric variables through example cases, enhancing your understanding of advanced concepts in gravitation and black hole dynamics.

Intro
Strong field GR and black holes in nature
Self consistency tests within GR
Residuals
Consistency between inspiral/ringdown
Beyond Self-consistency
The problem with non-perturbative gravity beyond
Modified Geometry
Modified matter
Two-way traversable wormhole mergers
Black Bubble Stability
The Einstein/Klein-Gordon/Hydrodynamic code
The internal flux
Scalar field from example case
Metric variables from example case
Conclusions