Astrophysics of Gravitational Wave Sources

NTMF090 – Astrophysics of Gravitational Wave Sources

LS 2021/2022

Previous years: LS 2019/2020 LS 2018/2019

The goal of this class is to learn how to gain understanding of complex, unsolved problems with the origin and evolution of gravitational wave sources as a working example. The class will include order-of-magnitude exercises and literature reading. Credit will be given for class participation, homeworks, and final exam.

Class syllabus

  • Existing and future GW detectors and their sensitivities (LIGO, VIRGO, PTA, LISA)
  • Overview of existing detections in contrast to other known astronomical populations of compact objects
  • Evolution of single stars to compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes)
  • Evolution of binary stars to compact object binaries
  • Unconventional binary star evolution, dynamical formation of binaries (captures)
  • Physics of the merger
  • Electromagnetic and multi-messenger signatures of the merger
  • Introduction to the physics of astronomical transients
  • Core-collapse supernovae
  • The zoo of astronomical transients
  • Future sources: stochastic GW from big bang, white dwarf binaries, supermassive blackholes, EMRIs

Lecture 1 (February 15 2022) – presentation slides

  • Existing and future GW detectors and their sensitivities (LIGO, VIRGO, PTA, LISA)
  • Overview of existing detections in contrast to other known astronomical populations of compact objects

Lectures 2 & 3 (March 22 2022) – presentation slides presentation slides

Lectures 4 & 5 (April 5 2022) – presentation slides

  • Single non-rotating solar-metallicity non-magnetic star evolution
  • Convection – additional materials

Lectures 6 & 7 (April 12 2022)presentation slides

  • Single non-rotating solar-metallicity non-magnetic star evolution

Lectures 8 & 9 (April 19 2022)presentation slides

Lecture 10 (April 26 2022)presentation slides

  • Final stages of stellar evolution, supernova explosion, pair instability, neutron stars

Lecture 11 (May 3 2022) presentation slides

Lecture 12 (May 10 2022)presentation slides

  • Electromagnetic and multimessenger signatures of the merger
  • Physics of astronomical transients
  • r process

Lectures 13 & 15 (May 17 2022)

Final symposium:

Great debate 1: what is the nature of “most superluminous” supernova ASASSN-15lh

Great debate 2: Which stars make neutron stars and which black holes aka the
“red supergiant problem”