Jeremy Sakstein
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Pennsylvania
Novel Tests of Gravity Using Astrophysics
The expansion of the Universe is accelerating and we have little to no idea why! This has led to a proliferation of alternative theories of gravity that are not general relativity as one possible explanation. Classical alternatives are quickly ruled out by solar system tests but modern theories can evade them by utilising screening mechanisms. This has led to an active program developing new and novel tests of gravity by looking for objects that are not fully screened.
In this talk, I will review the cosmological constant problem and modern alternative gravity theories before going on to describe some of my work looking for new and novel ways of testing gravity using objects such as dwarf stars, neutron stars, and pulsating Cepheids. |