Princeton University Gravity Initiative Spring Seminar Series

Abstract: We establish local well-posedness for the Einstein-Euler system with a physical vacuum boundary in spherical symmetry. Our proof relies on a new way of thinking about Einstein’s equations in spherical symmetry that is well-adapted to the fluid’s characteristics on the free boundary. We also exploit the Einstein constraint equations in spherical symmetry in a new way, as a tool to understand the evolution problem. This is joint work with Jared Speck.

Furthermore, I will explain how this failure of null infinity to be smooth affects the asymptotics of gravitational radiation at late times ("tails"), predicting decay up to three powers slower than the usual "Price's law" decay.