Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM 

Monday, March 13, 2000 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium 

Nick White

ABSTRACT -- The nature of gravity and its relationship to the other three forces and to quantum theory is one of the major challenges facing us as we begin the new century.  In order to make progress we must challenge the current theories by observing the effects of gravity under the most extreme conditions possible.  Black holes represent one extreme, where the laws of physics as we understand them break down.  The Universe as whole is another extreme, where its evolution and fate is dominated by the gravitational influence of dark matter and the nature of the Cosmological constant.  The early universe represents a third extreme, where it is thought that gravity may somehow be unified with the other forces.  NASA's "Cosmic Journeys" program is part of a NASA/NSF/DOE tri-agency initiative designed to observe the extremes of gravity throughout the universe.  This program will probe the nature of black holes, ultimately obtaining a direct image of the event horizon.  It will investigate the large scale structure of the Universe to constrain the location and nature of dark matter and the nature of the cosmological constant.  Finally, it will search for and study the highest energy processes, which approach those found in the early universe.

SPEAKER -- Dr. Nicholas White is an X-ray Astrophysicist in the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics (at GSFC since November 1990) and is currently Head of the GSFC X-ray Astrophysics Branch.  He received his BS from the University of Leicester (1973) and his PhD from University College London (1977).  In 1994 he received a GSFC Exceptional Achievement Award for his work in X-ray Astronomy.  His detailed "Curriculum Vitae" can be found at lheawww.gsfc.nasa.gov/users/white/vitae/vitae.html.