UNC PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY CHALK TALK
Dr. Samuel Gralla, University of Maryland, College Park
“Strong Gravitational and Electromagnetic Fields”
I will discuss some details of the physics and mathematics of strong gravitational and electromagnetic fields, and why I expect these regimes to play an increasingly important role in theoretical physics and astrophysics. I will present the basic structure of the theory of force-free electrodynamics on an arbitrary curved spacetime in two useful formulations: as a theory of the Maxwell two-form and an equivalent theory of two scalar fields with a peculiar symmetry. I will show how understanding this structure has led to progress, such as new exact solutions that we are applying to pulsars and relativistic jets.
Finally I will discuss the open questions I want to tackle in the next few years.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1:00P.M., Rm 435 CHAPMAN