CENTRA Seminar - Black Holes As Observatories For Beyond-standard Model Physics - 14 março 2014

Black Holes As Observatories For Beyond-standard Model Physics

Helvi Witek

Cambridge

Abstract / Resumo 

Black holes are key players in a wide range of fundamental physics with a rich phenomenology. Here, I will focus on the superradiant effect of Kerr BHs which can yield to instabilities when surrounded by a ``mirror''. This setup arises naturally in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes or in the presence of massive fields surrounding the BH, which can model condensates of ultra-light bosonic fields such as axion-like particles or dark matter candidates. Thus, exploring the superradiant instability of Kerr BHs opens up the exciting possibility to better understand fundamental fields by observing astrophysical BHs. In this talk, I will present recent results concerning massive fields in BH backgrounds as well as first numerical simulations of the fully non-linear case. We have explored massive scalar fields surrounding Kerr BHs and we have found interesting signatures in the scalar and gravitational wave channel. The BH's response hints at superradiant effects at the non-linear level.

Meeting room on the 2nd floor of the Physics Department building

Watch it live on:  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/centra---ist-seminars (also available on CENTRA TV webpage)
Talks' slides: TBA

Recorder Seminar: TBA

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