A Mini-workshop on Scalar Fields in Astrophysics was held at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University (PKU-KIAA) on September 1, 2026. The workshop brought together researchers from Peking University and several other institutions in China, as well as internationally renowned experts Prof. Daniela Doneva from Valencia University in Spain and Prof. Stoytcho Yazadjiev from Sofia University in Bulgaria. The mini-workshop provided a focused platform for researchers working on scalar fields, compact objects, modified gravity, and gravitational-wave astrophysics to exchange recent developments and discuss potential connections and collaborations.
Participants of the workshop
The workshop opened with welcome remarks by Prof. Lijing Shao, followed by an invited lecture by Prof. Stoytcho Yazadjiev on “Black Hole Spontaneous Scalarization: From Isolated to Binary Black Holes.” Prof. Yazadjiev is a leading researcher in theoretical and mathematical physics, with broad expertise in gravitation, scalar-tensor theories, and compact objects. Prof. Daniela Doneva, whose research focuses on the structure and dynamics of neutron stars and black holes in general relativity and its extensions, also participated as an invited international expert. The workshop featured a series of presentations covering a broad range of topics, including spontaneous scalarization, scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity, scalarized black holes and neutron stars, gravitational-wave tests of fundamental physics, dark matter searches, black-hole ringdown, and pulsars in the Galactic Center.
Stimulated by the workshop, more collaborations with workshop participants are expected in the near future in the field of exploring fundamental scalar fields from compact-object and gravitational-wave observations in astrophysics.
