Northwestern University

Feb
11
Mon 4:00 PM

## HEP Seminar: Michele Levi: Effective Field Theory and Gravitational Waves

When: Monday, February 11, 2019
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Where: Technological Institute, F160, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 map it

Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Public - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students

Contact: Pamela Villalovoz   847.491.3644

Category: Academic

### Description:

This talk will present effective field theories (EFTs) in the context of studying gravitational waves emitted from radiating compact binary inspiral. I will first explain why gaining analytic control in describing the inspiral phase'' of a compact binary, where the bound components still move in non-relativistic (NR) velocities, is of tremendous importance. I will then gently introduce the strategy of a multi-stage EFT framework for the binary inspiral problem with the NR velocity used as the small parameter of the perturbative expansion. We will explore two effective theories at intermediate scales. First, we will consider how to construct an EFT of a single rotating compact object, then proceed to the EFT of a compact binary system, viewed as a composite particle with internal binding interactions. I will conclude by highlighting the unique advances of this line of study, noting the prospects of extending it, including using further modern advances of field theory insights and tools to address the study of gravitational waves, as well as to expand our fundamental understanding of QFTs and Gravity theories at all scales.

Seminar Speaker: Michele Levi, IPhT-Saclay

Keywords: Physics, Astronomy, HEP

Please sign-in