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Research group

Gravity

A neutron star merger process in a numerical simulation

Research conducted by the Southampton Gravity group focuses on gravitational waves, general relativistic spacetimes around black holes, and the properties of ultra-dense matter in neutron stars, such as superfluidity and superconductivity of nuclear and quark matter.

About

General Relativity predicts the emission of gravitational waves during the inspiral and coalescence of systems of black holes and neutron stars. In order to interpret and facilitate the detection of gravitational waves from these, detailed theoretical understanding of general relativity and spacetimes around black holes and neutron stars is required. Members of the Gravity group study the gravitational collapse and formation of black holes, the dynamics of matter around black holes, and the gravitational radiation-reaction-driven merger of systems of neutron stars and stellar mass, intermediate mass, and supermassive black holes.

Neutron stars are invaluable laboratories for probing the state of matter under extreme conditions, and observations of neutron stars provide complementary information to that obtained from particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider. Members of the Gravity group model the complex physics of neutron stars (including supranuclear physics with magnetohydrodynamics and exotic phases of matter like superfluids, superconductors, and deconfined quarks) and the observational signatures of these physics (for example as seen from radio and X-ray pulsars as well as gravitational waves from neutron star mergers).

Find out more about our regular Gravity seminars.

People, projects, publications and PhDs

People

Dr Adam Pound

Principal Research Fellow

Research interests

  • General Relativity
  • Sources of gravitational waves
  • Black holes

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: a.pound@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Dr Andreas Schmitt

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Quantum chromodynamics
  • Superconductivity and superfluidity of dense nuclear and quark matter

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: a.schmitt@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Professor Carsten Gundlach

Professor of Mathematical Physics

Research interests

  • Classical general relativity
  • Numerical relativity
  • Critical phenomena in gravitational collapse

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: c.j.gundlach@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Dr Fabian Gittins

Research Fellow

Research interests

  • Neutron stars
  • Gravitational waves
  • General relativity

Email: f.w.r.gittins@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Dr Ian Hawke

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Numerical relativity
  • Neutron Stars
  • Gravitational waves

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: i.hawke@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Professor Ian Jones

Professor of Mathematical Physics

Research interests

  • Gravitational wave astronomy
  • Neutron stars
  • Radio pulsars

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: d.i.jones@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Professor Leor Barack

Professor of Mathematical Physics

Research interests

  • Classical General Relativity
  • Gravitational waves
  • Black Holes

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: l.barack@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Dr Lu Heng Sunny Yu

Teaching Fellow

Research interests

  • Quantum gravity, Quantum field theory, Relativity, Gravity and Cosmology
  • Mathematics and Physics Education

Email: lhs.yu@soton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Dr Michael Kenna-Allison PhD

Teaching Fellow

Research interests

  • Modified Gravity & Cosmology.
  • Dark Energy Theories.

Professor Nils Andersson

Professor of Applied Maths

Research interests

  • General relativistic astrosphysics
  • Black holes
  • Neutron stars

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: n.a.andersson@southampton.ac.uk

Address: B54, West Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

We are opening our eyes to what's out there - the invisible, dark side of the Universe, that we can only reveal through gravitational waves.
Professor of Applied Maths

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