Tell us about your research - what are you focusing on at the moment?
Working with Ross Church and colleagues in the Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, we consider how black holes form in the centres of stellar clusters and the centres of galaxies. We think about how they later grow in these places. For example, collisions between stars results in the release of gas which then falls into a central black hole.
We also model how binaries containing two black holes are formed from stars. These black holes spiral together and merge as they emit gravitational waves (which carry away energy and spin). They have been seen by gravitational wave detectors (LIGO and Virgo) and were the submit of last year’s Nobel Prize in physics. An important question remains: are these binaries made as are result of isolated stellar binaries evolving or do they form because of interactions in the more-crowded centres of stellar clusters?
What impact has Stephen Hawking had on your area of research?
His work on black holes, particularly on the idea that low-mass black holes can lose mass and evaporate (known now as Hawking radiation) is important in astronomy when one considers very low-mass black holes as a possible candidate for the so-called dark matter. Put simply, it means that any extremely low-mass black holes made early on would not be in the Universe today as they would have evaporated.
And what has he represented for your personally?
Stephan Hawking was, and indeed remains, a very visible example of a person during curiosity-driven science. Because of his fame, more people know that one can do science research as a job.
He is also a wonderful example to us all of the power of determination to succeed in overcoming enormous challenges.
In what way do you think he has had an effect on research conducted here at Lund University?
Stephen Hawking, through his visibility and fame, means that many people in the society know that people do research in science. His work on reaching the public through his books and talks is important. This type of work has many benefits: 1) people are curious about the Universe and what to know more; 2) it encourages students in school to study more science, maths and engineering; and 3) society has a need for people having studied science, engineering and medicine in a knowledge economy. This public outreach work is done by many others and continues. For example this week in Lund is NMT week with many high-school students visiting Lund University to hear about the big questions and our research work at Lund University within the Faculties of Science, Medicine and Engineering.
How will your research field evolve without Stephen Hawking going forward?
Science research is conducted by a great many people. Stephen had an important role in recruiting many talented researchers into studying black holes. An important legacy to his subject is the population of researchers he recruited and trained, and even those inspired by him to work on black holes elsewhere. He leaves the subject in a vibrant state. Science research in general has also gained in the same way.