Speaker: Elisa Maggio (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Potsdam)
Title: Testing general relativity with the ringdown of gravitational-wave observations
Abstract: Gravitational waves provide a unique opportunity to test gravity and probe the nature of astrophysical sources. With hundreds of binary coalescences detected by LIGO and Virgo, general relativity continues to stand as a successful theory of gravity. The loudest event to date, GW250114, offered a direct probe of the remnant’s Kerr nature by constraining multiple ringdown modes. In contrast, the second loudest signal, GW230814, exhibits a ringdown damping time shorter than predicted by general relativity. Simulations indicate that such deviations can arise from missing physics in waveform models or noise artefacts, suggesting no evidence for a breakdown of general relativity. In this talk, I will present analyses of recently observed gravitational-wave signals and discuss the prospects for testing fundamental physics with next-generation detectors.
Room: Sala de Reuniões e Seminários (2-8.3, 2nd Floor of Physics Building)