School of Physics Thesis Dissertation Defense

Peter Lott 

Advisor:  Dr. Laura Cadonati, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology 

Tests of General Relativity and Gravitational Waves from Highly Eccentric Binary Black Holes: Implications for Current and Future Detectors

Wednesday, October 16, 2024  

11:30 a.m. 

Pettit Microelectronics Building, Room 102A&B 

Zoom link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/91252095772?pwd=Vw6U7zPxa2kiqyMDtlig3NfRRrnDqV.1

Meeting ID: 912 5209 5772

Passcode: 267003

Committee Members:          

Dr. John Wise, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Gongjie Li, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Ignacio Taboada, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Bangalore Sathyaprakash, Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University

Abstract:

The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration has transformed gravitational wave astronomy, significantly impacting both astrophysics and fundamental physics. In this presentation, I will focus on tests of general relativity using gravitational-wave signals, and detectability of hyperbolic encounters of binary black holes. I will discuss the theoretical foundations of GWs and the operation of detectors like LIGO and Virgo. Then, I will highlight innovative data analysis techniques, particularly the Bayesian wavelet-based method for model-independent analysis. I will cover consistency tests for gravitational-wave signals and their effectiveness in identifying deviations from general relativity. Additionally, I will examine high-eccentricity interactions in stellar black holes within disks of active galactic nuclei as potential sources for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Finally, I will present a Bayesian analysis of numerical waveforms from hyperbolic encounters, estimating detection rates for future observatories.