Enigmatic Nature of Black Holes
Organizers
Speaker
Nishkal Rao
Time
Monday, March 9, 2026 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Venue
A7-302
Online
Zoom 518 868 7656
(BIMSA)
Abstract
Black holes can be studied through the rigorous lens of mathematical relativity and the observational domain of gravitational-wave astronomy. This talk aims to bridge these two perspectives. I will first discuss my thesis work on quasi-local definitions of black holes, focusing on isolated horizons and how their intrinsic geometry can serve as initial data for spacetime evolution using the Newman-Penrose formalism. Moving to the observable, the second half of the talk will explore my phenomenological and data-analysis projects. I will highlight recent work on the strong gravity, ringdowns, eccentricity, and the exciting physics of overlapping signals.
Speaker Intro
Nishkal Rao is a 5th-year BS-MS dual degree student majoring in Physics with a minor in Mathematics at IISER Pune. His research spans mathematical general relativity, black-hole horizons, and gravitational-wave phenomenology. For his master's thesis, he is working on the mathematical framework of quasi-local isolated horizons. Beyond his thesis, Nishkal collaborates on diverse projects across the theoretical and observational spectrum of gravity. His recent work includes analyzing the observational challenges of overlapping gravitational-wave transients, on post-merger emissions from eccentric binaries, non-linear effects in ringdown, and studying quantum decoherence near causal horizons.