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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto
Can a black hole have hair?

Carlos A. R. Herdeiro
Universidade de Aveiro

Abstract
Black holes are one of the most fascinating predictions of the General Theory of Relativity. According to the conventional picture that emerged in the 1970s as a corollary of the uniqueness theorems, black holes are extremely constrained objects, determined by only a few global charges. For instance, two black holes with the same total mass and angular momentum must be precisely equal, in sharp contrast with stars. Such simplicity of black holes became immortalized in John Wheeler's mantra "Black holes have no hair". In this talk, I will start by reviewing the history and some key physical/mathematical properties of black holes in General Relativity. I will then discuss a novel mechanism that allows black holes to have 'hair' and challenges the standard paradigm. Some possible astrophysical consequences will be addressed.

11 February 2015, 13:30

Centro de Astrofísica
Rua das Estrelas
4150-762 Porto

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

Proceed on CAUP's website|Go to IA website