$$News and Reports$$

Nov. 29, 2016
Prof. Eduardo Guendelman from the BGU Physics Department has joined the Management Committee of the European COST collaboration on "Gravitational waves, black holes and fundamental physics."
 
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Gravity plays a central role in physics. Almost every grand challenge in astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics includes gravity as a key ingredient, making it a strong interdisciplinary subject. Black Holes (BHs) are the atoms of General Relativity (GR). They are the “simplest” astrophysical objects, yet they harbor the most remarkable predictions of GR: event horizons and singularities. Gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy, made possible by the historical detection of GWs in 2016, will allow us to test models of BH formation, growth and evolution, as well as models of GW generation and propagation. It will provide evidence for event horizons and ergo-regions, test GR itself and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The synthesis of these results has the potential to answer some of the most pressing issues in our understanding of the cosmos and the laws of Nature. The scientific prospects and exciting opportunities have potential paradigm-shifting consequences in astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics.
 
This Action will link three scientific communities: one specializing in GW detection, another in BH modelling, and a third in strong-gravity tests of fundamental physics, forming a single interdisciplinary network, facilitating a common language and a framework for discussion. Building bridges between these interrelated fields will drive excellence in BH and GW research in Europe. The Action will train the next generation of leaders in the field, the very first "native" GW/multi-messenger astronomers and shall pave the way for European researchers to become global leaders in the approaching age of GW physics of high precision.
 
Professor Guendelman is already a member of the management team of another European COST collaboration "CANTATA", Cosmology and Astrophysics Network for Theoretical Advances and Training Actions, where he represents Israel. These two actions are quite inter-related and seek to produce some of the most exciting developments in physics today.
 
Some of Prof. Guendelman’s ideas concerning both Black Holes and the creation of the Universe have been explained in a  popular science book by Zeeya Merali "A Big Bang in a Little Room: The Quest to Create New Universes", which has just been sent to the printers, and is due to go on sale early next year. Chapter 6 of this book contains an interview with Prof. Guendelman and a popular level explanation of his research into this subject.