Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton (AAAP) Monthly Meeting

A Virtual Tour of LIGO

Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in his General Theory of Relativity, circa 1915. He said that the collision of massive objects in space would cause minute ripples in spacetime that could in principle be detected. Detecting them in practice turned into one of the most massively expensive and “ridiculous” collaborations in the history of science. How does one measure the changing distances between two objects four kilometers apart to a tolerance of one- thousandth of the diameter of an atom’s nucleus? It’s done with mirrors, and represents the most accurate measurement humans have ever achieved.

A century after Einstein’s prediction, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, LIGO for short, made the first detection of gravity waves. It was a huge intellectual and financial gamble. The Nobel Prize in Physics, often awarded to researchers decades after their epochal discoveries, was shared by LIGO’s leaders two years later.

Our guest speaker, Kimberly Burtnyk, will take us inside one of this nation’s two LIGO facilities in Hanford, Washington. The event will begin with a presentation explaining what LIGO is and does and reviewing some of LIGO’s most fascinating discoveries involving black holes and neutron stars. We will then connect with a live view of the LHO control room, where you will meet one of LIGO’s Operators, who will share what it’s like to monitor one of the world’s largest and most sensitive measuring devices.

Date & Time

February 11, 2025 | 7:30pm – 9:30pm

Location

Peyton Hall & Zoom

Speakers

Kimberly Burtnyk, LIGO Laboratory