Stellar Astrophysics and Relativity Research Cluster

News

The Physics & Astronomy Department Observes a Very Rare Celestial System. Failed Star Orbits a Dead Star Every 71 Minutes.

LIGO detects gravitational waves! In 2016, 100 years after Einstein’s formulation of General Relativity, the LIGO collaboration has reported two detections of gravitational waves from binary black hole mergers. A third detection is reported in 2017.

We were proud to host the Theory Canada 8 Conference. The Canadian theoretical physics community met at Bishop’s from May 23-26, 2013 to share new research results. For more information, please go the TC8 website.

Nova Sagittarii 2012#5 was discovered on July 16.512 2012 UT, and Supernova 2012DX was discovered on July 26.95 2012 UT.

About Us

The STellar Astrophysics & Relativity (STAR) research cluster based at Bishop’s University is one of the four research clusters selected by the university in 2009 to develop some of the research lines of its strategic research plan. Inside Bishop’s, we are an inter-departmental cluster bringing together physicists and mathematicians working in cosmology, astrophysics, and gravitation. These disciplines fit well in the Liberal Arts mandate of the university. Outside the university, we have many international collaborations and partners.

Our areas of research in fundamental and applied physics include cosmology, astrophysics, general relativity, alternative theories of gravity, effective theories for low-energy quantum gravity, gravitational waves, the astrophysics of compact objects, binary stellar systems, and high energy astrophysics. Cosmology and compact objects (neutron stars and black holes), and the science of gravitational waves are the main areas of application of relativistic gravity and encompass a wide variety of astrophysical objects and phenomena that one would like to understand. Research on compact objects (isolated or in binary systems) include studies of their formation history, number densities throughout the universe, and the signatures of gravitational waves radiated by them. For a more detailed description of our goals and our research.

The cluster and its members are involved in the organization of conferences, workshops, and local seminars, host visitors for collaborative work and lectures, participate in various international activities (e.g., the time allocation process for the Gemini telescope), and coordinate the outreach activities of the Bishop’s University Astronomical Observatory.