Dr. Xikai Shan

My research focuses on how gravitational waves are modified as they propagate through the Universe, how these effects impact gravitational-wave data analysis, and what astrophysical and cosmological information can be extracted from them. More specifically, I focus on gravitational lensing, ranging from weak and strong lensing by large-scale structure and galaxies to microlensing by stars and compact objects. I am especially interested in microlensing in the wave-optics regime, where diffraction and interference can imprint frequency-dependent features on gravitational-wave signals.

These propagation effects are both a challenge and an opportunity for gravitational-wave astronomy. If not properly modelled, they can introduce systematic errors in gravitational-wave data analysis; if identified, they can instead be used to probe matter and structure along the line of sight. My work therefore ranges from algorithm development and realistic astrophysical simulations to new methods for gravitational-wave lensing searches and data analysis.

Publications
Here are links to my publications: from INSPIRE, and from the ADS database.