Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

The recent detection of gravitational waves heralds a revolution in our understanding of gravity and astrophysics. Gravitational wave astronomy is now a new and exciting field. This field will bring revolution that will help elucidate enigmatic objects like black holes and neutron stars, decipher their connection to spectacularly energetic astrophysical events and test General Relativity at unprecedented levels. My research program is focused on all these opportunities, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to both examine particular opportunities and critically examine novel lines of research.

This proposal contains an ambitious 5-year plan to take advantage of amazing observational opportunities to explore strongly gravitating systems. During this proposal I will concentrate on two main driving topics which, in turn, contain several activities making contact with observational and foundational goals. These fronts are intertwined and provide an excellent ground to focus on timely objectives while expanding future horizons for gravitational research and observations.

1) Strong gravity and astrophysical questions. I will use my expertise in strongly gravitating systems to study multimessenger signals from stellar compact binary mergers as well as possible electromagnetic signals produced by tidal disruption events or accretion by supermassive black holes. A main driving goal in this front will be to produce predictions that can guide observational efforts as well as analysis of possible signals. To this end, I will exploit computational simulations enabled through our advanced computational infrastructure for non-vacuum compact binaries as well as a new approach to study supermassive black hole interacting with matter.

2) Strong gravity and fundamental questions. I will examine gravitational wave signature from relevant systems described by extensions to General Relativity and the likelihood of detecting potential departures. As well, I will study implications of non-linear interactions in the possibility of turbulence in gravitational fields and the role that inverse-energy cascade can have in addressing well posedness questions of most extensions to General Relativity.

The young researchers working in my program will participate in the groundbreaking science brought forward by the new era of gravitational wave astronomy. They will benefit from extensive academic training which contemplates breath and depth. They will acquire unique mathematical and computer skills, develop analytic creative thinking and encouraged to take leadership roles. Our work will impact various physical disciplines and can help revolutionize our understanding of gravity and astrophysical systems.