ABSTRACT
In this talk, I will present two novel ways of utilizing astrophysical observations to probe the existence of new physics. I will first talk about how to use GW experiments to understand the origin of the GeV gamma rays excess from the Galactic Center. Particularly, we show that the existing continuous wave search has imposed a strong constraint on the number of millisecond pulsars at the galactic center. Then I will demonstrate that, with high spatial resolution, polarimetric imaging of a supermassive black hole by the Event Horizon Telescope can be used to probe the existence of axions. Through these two examples, we show that a nice bridge can be built between astrophysics and particle physics, and interesting particle physics questions can be answered by powerful astrophysical probes.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Zhao received his bachelor's degree from Peking University in 2007 and his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 2012. He then held postdoctoral positions at Stanford University/SLAC and the University of Michigan before joining the University of Utah as a faculty in 2018. In 2025, he moves to HKUST as an associate professor. His research spans a wide range of disciplines, with a particular focus on innovative strategies for searching for dark matter and exploring new physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. He also leads the LIGO gravitational wave group at HKUST. As a theorist, he collaborates closely with experimentalists.
Date & Time
Venue
Chair