Speaker
Matthew Elley
Description
A variety of theories beyond the Standard Model predict the existence of topological defects such as domain walls in the early universe. Given certain conditions, it is possible for enclosed domain wall configurations to collapse to primordial black holes, which may contribute to some if not all of the estimated dark matter abundance. However, there are a number of uncertainties regarding the likelihood of black hole formation. One such uncertainty is the degree by which deformations of the domain walls hinders black hole production. By simulating the entire collapse of deformed domain wall configurations using numerical relativity, we attempt to alleviate this uncertainty.
