The first direct detection of gravitational waves was made in September 2015 with the measurement of the coalescence of two ~30 solar mass black holes at a distance of about 1 billion light years from Earth. The initial detection has been followed by the measurement of more black hole events as well as the first detection of the coalescence of two neutron stars. The entry of gravitational wave astronomy into astrophysics as part of multi-messenger astronomy has made it critical to improve the sensitivity of the detectors as the scientific returns are so promising. The talk will present some of the technical challenges in making the improvements and end with some prospects for the field.
Professor Rainer Weiss
Nobel Prize for physics, 2017
Professor of Physics (Emeritus) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords: Physcis, Astronomy, Heilborn
Pamela Villalovoz
(847) 491-3644
Email