Contact: alex.vano.vinuales[AT]tecnico.ulisboa.ptLocation: Lisbon, Portugal
The PT-CERN Call 2021/1 is open for student application of PhD grants in high energy physics and related scientific domains relevant for the Portuguese participation at CERN. The GRavitation In Tecnico (GRIT) group in CENTRA, Instituto Superior Tecnico of the University of Lisbon, proposes two PhD projects in the fields of mathematical and numerical relativity:
Title: Analysis of the asymptotic region of asymptotically flat and de-Sitter like spacetimes
Supervisor: Edgar Gasperin, co-supervisor: Alex Vano-Vinuales
Abstract: The asymptotic properties of spacetimes play a central role in many physical aspects of General Relativity since key notions in the theory, such as the mass and gravitational radiation, can only be unambiguously defined at infinity. The analysis of such properties and resolutions of open problems in theory require both the non-linear analysis of solutions to partial differential equations (Einstein field equations) and the geometric understanding thereof. This PhD project consists in the mathematical analysis and/or numerical study of spacetimes of physical interest (such as black holes, cosmological spacetimes and perturbations thereof) by means of conformal methods. More specifically, exploiting the conformal Einstein field equations and asymptotic expansions to study the behaviour of solutions close to null and spatial infinity.
Title: Free hyperboloidal evolution in axisymmetry
Supervisor: Alex Vano-Vinuales, co-supervisor: Edgar Gasperin
Abstract: This thesis project in the field of numerical relativity aims to use compactification methods to tackle General Relativity on hyperboloidal slices, which allow the unambiguous evaluation of global spacetime properties at null infinity. The main objective is a free-evolution hyperboloidal axisymmetric implementation for a commonly used formulation of the Einstein equations. On the way towards the extraction of more accurate gravitational waveforms from the strong field regime, the code will be used to couple gravity to simple matter models, among them fundamental field candidates.
Interested PhD candidates will find more details of the thesis proposals searching under “Thesis Proposals” on the application’s website and are encouraged to apply there. Deadline is 10th May 2021. For any queries or further information, please contact alex.vano.vinuales[AT]tecnico.ulisboa.pt or edgar.gasperin[AT]tecnico.ulisboa.pt.