Prof. Kent Yagi, University of Virginia

"Strong-field tests of gravity with gravitational-wave and multimessenger observations"

Abstract: Recent observations of black holes and neutron stars through gravitational waves, x-rays, and radio waves allow us to probe the strong and dynamical field regime of gravity. After reviewing the current observational status, I will first describe how we can use gravitational waves to test theories beyond General Relativity, such as those that have higher curvature corrections in the action motivated by string theory. I will next focus on using universal relations among neutron star observables that do not depend sensitively on the equations of state and explain how such relations allow us to perform strong-field tests of gravity with multimessenger observations without being biased by uncertainties in nuclear physics.

Bio: Kent Yagi received his Ph.D. in physics at Kyoto University, Japan, in 2012. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at Montana State University and Princeton University, he joined the University of Virginia in 2017 as a faculty member. His expertise includes testing General Relativity and probing nuclear physics with gravitational waves. He has received the Sloan Research Fellowship as well as the Young Scientist Prize in General Relativity and Gravitation from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). He is an executive committee member of the Division of Gravitational Physics (DGRAV) at the American Physical Society (APS) and Chesapeake Sector of the American Association of Physics Teachers (CSAAPT). He also works as an associate editor of the journal General Relativity and Gravitation.