Rutgers University Physics/Astronomy Colloquium

The Remarkable Story of LIGO's Detection of Gravitational Waves

In February, LIGO scientists announced the direct detection of gravitational waves, confirming a century-old prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. This milestone was finally made possible with the incredibly sensitive Advanced LIGO detectors, combined with a certain measure of luck. The spectacular first event, detected in September 2015 from the merger of a pair of rather heavy stellar-mass black holes, was followed by a second clear event in December (and also a hint of a third, in October). These first events have given us our first view of the properties of gravitational-wave sources and enabled us to perform tests of general relativity as the leading theory of gravity. I will share the scientific meaning of the discovery, some of the personal stories behind it, and prospects for future discoveries.

Date & Time

September 28, 2016 | 4:45pm – 5:45pm

Location

Serin Hall, Physics and Astronomy Lecture Hall

Speakers

Peter Shawhan

Affiliation

University of Maryland & Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)

Notes

Tea served at 4:30.