Big Bang, Black Holes & Gravitational Waves by Abhay Ashtekar

Date: 21 August 2019, 16:00 to
Introduction
Introduction to Speaker
Big Bang, Black Holes and Gravitational Waves Illustrations of Paradigm Shifts in Fundamental Science
Setting the stage: The goal of this talk
Space, Time and Gravity
Gravity fuses with Space-Time Geometry
Discovery of General Relativity
On General Relativity
Side Remark: But does it matter in practical terms?
Organization
2. Cosmology Application of GR to the Universe As a Whole
The Issue of the Beginning: Curious History
The Big Bang: Twists and Turns
A Paradigm Shift
Cosmic Microwave Background
COBE & WMAP Image Credits: NASA
Planck Satellite launched 2009
Organization: Warping of space-time & Black Holes
Black Holes: End of Space & Time
Our Own Black Hole: sgr A*
Amazingly, predictions appeared over 230 years ago! Based on Newton's law of Gravitation
Curious History of Black Holes in GR
Prominent Examples of the reluctance
Now: BHs routinely invoked as engines driving the most energetic explosions in the universe
Ripples on space-time: Gravitational waves
Gravitational Waves: Curious History
Resolution of the confusion
Novel Cosmic Messengers
Direct detections on earth: Triumph of Human ingenuity.
Summary
Lessons
Q&A