Dr. Faber is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Dr. Faber's research in relativistic hydrodynamics will draw together gravitational wave astrophysics with the main body of observational astrophysics. By studying coalescing black hole-neutron star binaries and the collapse of massive stellar cores, Dr. Faber plans to link observations of gamma-ray bursts and supernovae with gravitational wave detections. Through this work, he hopes to set tight constraints on the nuclear equation of state and to better understand the collapsar supernova mechanism.
In addition, Dr. Faber's work will be used as the foundation for an educational program serving both the general public and research astrophysicists. He will develop planetarium shows and hands-on audiovisual exhibits with the aim of introducing large numbers of interested people to gravitational wave physics and to the central philosophical ideas which underpin modern science. In addition, he will develop online resources, including animations, notes, and other course materials, intended as an introduction for undergraduate students on the topics of relativistic phenomena and gravitational radiation.
