Autorentext

Nils Andersson is a professor of mathematics and an expert on Einstein's theory of relativity and related astrophysics. His research mainly concerns black holes, neutron stars and gravitational waves. Over the last couple of decades, he has actively pursued many issues relevant to the emerging area of gravitational-wave astronomy. His current work focuses on the extreme physics that neutron stars represent, from the state and composition of matter to the dynamical role of the superfluid and superconducting components expected to be present in the core of a mature neutron star.

Klappentext

This introduction to gravitational waves and related astrophysics provides a bridge across the range of astronomy, physics and cosmology that comes into play when trying to understand the gravitational-wave sky. Key ideas are developed step by step, leading up to the technology that caught these faint whispers from the distant universe.

Inhalt

• 1: Opening the window

• 2: A brief survey of general relativity

• 3: Gravitational waves

• 4: From black holes to stars and the universe at large

• 5: Binary inspiral

• 6: Spinning stars and cosmic recycling

• 7: Catching the wave

• 8: Mining the data

• 9: The stellar graveyard

• 10: Testing relativity

• 11: Beyond Newton

• 12: Towards the extreme

• 13: From oscillations to instabilities

• 14: Building mountains

• 15: The r-mode instability

• 16: Black-hole dynamics

• 17: Spinning black holes

• 18: Relativistic asteroseismology

• 19: Colliding black holes

• 20: Cosmic Fireworks

• 21: Anatomy of a merger

• 22: Whispers from the Big Bang