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General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, gr-qc, Astrophysics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, astro-ph.HE,High Energy Physics - Theory, hep-th
Abstract:
The grand challenges of contemporary fundamental physics---dark matter, dark
energy, vacuum energy, inflation and early universe cosmology, singularities
and the hierarchy problem---all involve gravity as a key component. And of all
gravitational phenomena, black holes stand out in their elegant simplicity,
while harbouring some of the most remarkable predictions of General Relativity:
event horizons, singularities and ergoregions. The hitherto invisible landscape
of the gravitational Universe is being unveiled before our eyes: the historical
direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration marks
the dawn of a new era of scientific exploration. Gravitational-wave astronomy
will allow us to test models of black hole formation, growth and evolution, as
well as models of gravitational-wave generation and propagation. It will
provide evidence for event horizons and ergoregions, test the theory of General
Relativity itself, and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The
synthesis of these results has the potential to radically reshape our
understanding of the cosmos and of the laws of Nature. The purpose of this work
is to present a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the state of the art in
the relevant fields of research, summarize important open problems, and lay out
a roadmap for future progress.
