B1017 - GRAVITATIONAL WAVE ASTROPHYSICS AND COSMOLOGY

Anno Accademico 2022/2023

  • Moduli: Michele Ennio Maria Moresco (Modulo 2) Carlo Nipoti (Modulo 1)
  • Modalità didattica: Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 2) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 1)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Laurea Magistrale in Astrophysics and Cosmology (cod. 5828)

Contenuti

Part I: Theory of gravitational waves (GWs)

(Teacher: Carlo Nipoti)

 

- Fundamentals of general relativity

- Linearized general relativity

- Linearized field equations: weak GWs

- Effect of gravitational waves on free particles

- Generation of gravitational waves from binary sources in linearized theory

- Spin-up of binary systems due to GW emission

- Chirp GW signal from inspiralling binary systems

 

Part II: Detection of GWs and cosmological applications

(Teacher: Michele Moresco)

 

- Astrophysical sources of GWs

- Compact coalescence binaries

- GWs detection: basics of interferometry and the GW signal

- Overview of the current and future GWs observatories

- GW analysis: fundamentals of he Bayesian framework and parameter estimation from GWs signal

- Cosmology with GWs: GWs as standard sirens (bright sirens, dark sirens, and spectral sirens)

- The astrophysical and cosmological signal in GWs

Testi/Bibliografia

Main textbook:

- M. Maggiore "Gravitational waves" Volumes I (2008) and II (2018). Oxford University Press

Other textbooks:

- M.P. Hobson, G.P. Efstathiou and A.N. Lasenby, General Relativity. An introduction for physicsists, 2006, Cambridge University Press

- M. Guidry Modern General Relativity. Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, and Cosmology, 2020, Cambridge University Press

- B. Schutz, A First Course in General Relativity, 2022, Cambridge University Press

A few relevant articles will be suggested during the lectures. Lectures slides will be provided.

Metodi didattici

Lectures

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

The assessment method will be based on an oral exam in which the student will be asked to answer questions about different topics among those presented during the lectures. The oral exam is aimed at verifying the knowledge of the theory of gravitational wave phenomenon and the understanding of the main astrophysical applications.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Blackboard and projector

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Michele Ennio Maria Moresco

Consulta il sito web di Carlo Nipoti

SDGs

Istruzione di qualità

L'insegnamento contribuisce al perseguimento degli Obiettivi di Sviluppo Sostenibile dell'Agenda 2030 dell'ONU.