Gravitation and Cosmology, University of Hannover

Guillem Domènech Fuertes’ work focuses on the interplay between gravitational waves and primordial black holes in the early phase of the universe. Inflation theory posits that shortly after the Big Bang there was a brief phase of extremely rapid expansion of the universe, which may have generated a stochastic background of gravitational waves. While gravitational waves from the merger of black holes or neutron stars were measured for the first time in 2015, this gravitational wave background has not yet been detected. Among other things, Guillem Domènech Fuertes has shown that gravitational waves generated in secondary processes during the inflationary phase can produce a strong signal that is measurable in principle and can interact with primordial black holes. His work has proved valuable in gaining a deeper understanding of the underlying physical processes, and it is now used in interpreting current measurements of the gravitational wave background using pulsars, for example. 

Further Information

• Research Funding > Programmes > Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize(interner Link)
• Overview of all prizewinners(interner Link)