|
Abstract |
The LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave detections, the imaging of a black hole shadow by long-
baseline radio interferometry, and ever more precise observations across all electromagnetic
wavelengths have opened an unprecedented window onto gravity at its strongest. Black holes
are the simplest, most compact, and physically elusive macroscopic objects in the Universe
and play a central role in this new era in physics and astronomy.
In this talk, I will describe how black holes can be used to understand foundational questions:
are gravitons massless? Are black holes the simplest possible macroscopic objects? do event
horizons and black holes really exist, or is their formation halted by some as-yet unknown
mechanism? Do singularities arise in our universe as the outcome of violent collisions? Can
black holes inform us about the nature of the elusive dark matter?
|
