Undergraduate Maths Seminar - Albert Einstein and the Zombie Stars: exploring the extremes of physics with gravitational waves, Professor Nils Andersson, Southampton Seminar

Event details

A neutron star is born when a massive star runs out of nuclear fuel and collapses under its own weight. These “zombie” stars involve aspects of physics that cannot be tested in laboratories on Earth. We have to figure out their properties from astrophysical observations. Neutron stars are of central importance for gravitational-wave astronomy. They may radiate gravitational waves through a variety of scenarios, either long-lasting or of an explosive nature. In this talk I will introduce the main ideas, including key aspects of Einstein’s general relativity, and discuss how future observations may allow us to explore exciting extremes of physics.