Exploring the Universe with Gravitational Waves

A  new era in astrophysics was inaugurated with the 2015 discovery of gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes in data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO).  Since then, LIGO and its sister project Virgo have observed several more gravitational waves from the collision of black holes and neutron stars.  These discoveries have effectively opened a new observational window on the Cosmos, with a rich science potential ranging from astronomy to cosmology to nuclear physics. This talk will present a selection of the  latest results from LIGO and Virgo, summarize what we have learned so far from gravitational waves about black holes, neutron stars and the history of the Universe, and outline future prospects for the exploration of the Universe with gravitational waves.

Speaker: Laura Cadonati, Georgia Institute of Technology

Attend in person or online (see weblink)