Seeking Gravitational Waves: The Tao of LIGO

Gravitational waves (ripples in space and time) were first predicted by Einstein, who thought they were too weak to detect (and didn’t believe in black holes). However, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) made the stunning first detection of Gravitational Waves from colliding black holes in 2015. So, what is LIGO, what is the science behind it and the challenges in making it, how does it work, how will it evolve and what new discoveries we may encounter with the next generation of gravitational wave detectors? In this talk, Dr Lantz will address these questions from the viewpoint of someone intimately involved in the design and construction of key elements of LIGO.

Speaker: Brian Lantz, Stanford Univ.