Description
There is a crucial aspect of modern field theories that was not yet observed directly, which is the possibility of leaving behind a permanent change in the field potential after the emission of radiation, which gives rise to a so-called memory effect. In gravity, this effect represents permanent scars in the fabric of spacetime left behind by gravitational waves. Excitingly, the first detection of a memory effect is expected to be around the corner. It is therefore time to go beyond the fully idealized computations and start accounting for realistic complexities that might be relevant for a first observation of the effect. This is the objective of this thesis. In particular, this includes for example an exploration of the consequences of the cosmic expansion and astrophysical backgrounds on the propagation of a memory signal, as well as the finite-size effects expected within laboratory scale attempts of observing the electromagnetic memory.
| Field of study | Astrophysics |
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| Supervisor | Jann Zosso, Jose Maria Ezquiaga |