Strong Gravity

The source of about half of the heaviest elements in the Universe has been a mystery for a long time. Although the general picture of element formation is well understood, many questions about the nuclear physics processes and particularly the astrophysical details remain to be answered. Here I focus on recent advances in our understanding of the origin of the heaviest and rarest elements in the Universe.

There is observational evidence that the X-ray continuum source that creates the broad fluorescent emission lines in some Seyfert Galaxies may be compact and located at a few gravitational radii above the black hole. We consider two scenarios for the X-ray emission. The first possibility is that the X-rays may be produced by particles accelerated in an electrostatic gap at the base of a putative jet. However, our detailed study of the gap kinetic physics and scaling suggests that the energetics is not enough in these environments. The second possibility is that the compact X-ray emitting source may be powered by small scale flux tubes near the black hole that are attached to the orbiting accretion disk. Our force-free simulations show that the field linking the black hole and the disk can get twisted up by the differential rotation to form a magnetic tower. When the confinement provided by the field from the outer disk is strong, the built-up magnetic tower can quickly become kink unstable, which leads to continuous reconnection and dissipates most of the energy extracted from the rotating black hole. This could in principle power a hot X-ray emitting region above the black hole.

The detection of gravitational waves from mergers of compact binaries in the first two runs of the Advanced LIGO-Virgo have brought in valuable insights into fundamental physics and astrophysics. The coalescence process sweeping the components through a range of frequencies at highly relativistic velocities, have enabled some of the first tests of general relativity in its highly dynamical and extremely strong field regime. The recent detection of the binary neutron star merger has shed first light on the elusive neutron star equation of state. Furthermore, with its coincident electromagnetic counterpart, a first "standard-siren" measurement of the Hubble parameter has been made independent of a cosmic distance ladder. Subsequent detections are expected to give us a more direct understanding of the nature of the black holes and the composition of neutron stars, as well as bring in a plethora of results in astrophysics and possibly new insights into cosmology. I will go over some of these exciting new results and talk about future prospects of fundamental physics and cosmology from gravitational-wave observations.

Over the last few years gravitational wave (GW) detections have marked
the beginning of a new era of astrophysical observations. When the
emitters include a compact object like a neutron star, the GW signal
is accompanied by emissions in different bands, e.g. X-rays,
gamma-rays, optical and neutrinos. The interpretation of such
multimessenger signals allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the
interiors of compact objects. One main challenge is to link our
knowledge of nuclear interactions to macroscopic properties of dense
objects in the Universe. In this talk I will discuss selected aspects
along the interface of nuclear physics and astrophysics

The recent gravitational-wave detections of binary mergers 
have opened a new and exciting window into observing the Universe. 
Persistent sources of gravitational waves must also exist; searches for 
continuous gravitational-wave signals generally look for signals from 
non-axisymmetric neutron stars, but are also suitable for continuous 
gravitational waves from axion annihilations in clouds around black 
holes. I will discuss the expected axion annihilations signal from an 
astrophysical standpoint, starting from the Galactic isolated black hole 
population.

Neutron stars host the densest stable matter in the universe. Accurately modeling their multi-messenger astrophysics relies on a detailed description of the equation of state above nuclear density, and astronomical observations of neutron stars can in turn be used to constrain the properties of such dense matter. On August 17, 2017 the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors discovered the first gravitational-wave signal consistent with a binary neutron star inspiral. The three-dimensional localization of GW170817’s source using LIGO and Virgo data enabled a successful electromagnetic follow-up campaign. We are also able to constrain the equation of state of dense matter in neutron stars using the signature of tidal interaction in the gravitational-wave signal. I will outline these constraints, the methods by which they are made, how the gravitational-wave information connects with other observations of neutron stars, and outline future prospects for gravitational-wave astronomy with neutron stars.

I will address a long-standing problem of describing the thermodynamics of an accelerating black hole, concentrating on the special case of slowly accelerating black holes in AdS. The key
ingredient of consistent thermodynamics is to ensure that the system is not over-constrained by including the possibility of varying the string tensions that are responsible for the acceleration of the black hole. The first law assumes the standard form, with the entropy given by one quarter of the horizon area and other quantities identified by standard methods. The dual
energy-momentum tensor can be written as a three-dimensional perfect fluid plus a non-hydrodynamic contribution. Some novel thermodynamic phase behavior related to the black hole acceleration will also be discussed.

The ultra-strong magnetic fields of magnetars have profound implications for their radiative phenomena. We studied the dynamics of strong magnetic fields inside and outside magnetars. Inside the magnetar, the strong magnetic stress can break the crust and trigger plastic failures. The interaction between magnetic fields and plastic failures is studied in two scenarios: 1. Internal Hall waves launched from the core-crust interface can initiate plastic failures and lead to X-ray outbursts. 2. External Alfven waves produced by giant flares can also initiate crustal plastic failures which dissipate the waves and give rise to delayed thermal afterglow. The crustal dissipation of Alfven waves is competed by the magnetospheric dissipation outside the magnetar. Using a high order simulation of Force-Free Electrodynamics (FFE), we found that the magnetospheric dissipation of Alfven waves is generally slow and most wave energy will dissipate inside the magnetar.

Since the first detection two years ago, gravitational waves have promised to revolutionize the physics and astrophysics of compact objects. But to understand what these gravitational waves are telling us, we need to understand how these relativistic binary systems form in the first place.  In this talk, I will describe the various astrophysical pathways for forming the binary mergers detected by LIGO/Virgo, and how specific features of the gravitational waves (such as the eccentricities and spins) can illuminate the formation histories of these exotic objects.  In particular, I will discuss how black holes can undergo multiple mergers in dense star clusters, creating a second generation of black holes more massive (and with potentially greater spins) than those formed through the collapse of isolated stars.

I will discuss recent developments in the theory of relativistic turbulence, from both pure physics and astronomical perspectives. Turbulence in relativistic fluids and plasmas has applicability in high energy density physics, in early-universe cosmology, and in high energy astrophysics. I will focus on its connections with multi-messenger astrophysics, particularly in the context of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers, and the electromagnetic signals that accompany their gravitational wave emission. My talk will include (1) an overview of methods used to simulate and characterize relativistic turbulence, (2) implications of dynamo theory to the dynamics of BNS mergers, (3) new ideas emerging in the theory of "radiation-mediated" relativistic turbulence, and (4) efforts in modeling the prompt and afterglow emission from GW-170817.

The gravitational waves from a binary inspiral carry unique information about the internal structure of compact objects. This information is of major interest for neutron stars, offering the possibility for advancing our understanding matter and fundamental interactions in unexplored regimes. I will discuss the imprints of an object’s internal structure, and in particular neutron star matter, on the gravitational waves generated during an inspiral, methods for analytically modeling these effects, and what we have learned from GW170817. I will also outline future prospects and challenges.

The unexpected diversity of planetary systems has posed challenges to our classical understanding of planetary formation. For instance, Jupiter sized planets have been detected with short orbital periods of a few days in misaligned orbits with respect to the spin-axis of their host stars. I will first describe the statistical implication of detecting misaligned hot Jupiters and will suggest how dynamical interactions between an outer perturber and the inner planet, can naturally lead to the formation of such misaligned hot Jupiters. Next, I will discuss a similar dynamical process in the outer Solar System, far away from our Sun, which could cause the observed clustering of extreme trans-Neptunian objects. This can constrain properties of a possible outer planet, Planet Nine, in our own Solar System.