2023 Andrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture: "Illuminating the Dark Universe with Gravitational Waves"

Duration: 1 hour 14 mins

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Description:	The 17th Andrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture, entitled "Illuminating the Dark Universe with Gravitational Waves," was given on Tuesday 14 November 2023 at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge by Professor Alessandra Buonanno, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Potsdam.


Created:	2023-11-23 12:08
Collection:	DAMTP
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	Mr J Parke
Language:	eng (English)
Keywords:	Gravitational waves; Albert Einstein; general relativity;


Abstract:	For centuries, we have explored the Universe and discovered novel astrophysical sources and phenomena only through the observation of electromagnetic waves (gamma rays, X-rays, optical, infrared, radio waves). In 2015, we observed the first gravitational wave passing through the Earth produced by the merger of two stellar-mass black holes. Such an event has provided us with a remarkable confirmation of the general theory of relativity by Albert Einstein, and ushered in the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. Since then, about one hundred gravitational waves have been detected, including the gravitational signal produced by the coalescence of two neutron stars, accompanied by a plethora of electromagnetic counterparts observed by numerous telescopes around the world. In this talk, Professor Alessandra Buonanno highlights how the novel astronomical messengers are already unveiling distinctive properties of the most extreme astrophysical objects in the Universe, and discusses the discovery potential of future observatories in space and on the ground, which will open new frequency bandwidths.

Abstract:

For centuries, we have explored the Universe and discovered novel astrophysical sources and phenomena only through the observation of electromagnetic waves (gamma rays, X-rays, optical, infrared, radio waves). In 2015, we observed the first gravitational wave passing through the Earth produced by the merger of two stellar-mass black holes. Such an event has provided us with a remarkable confirmation of the general theory of relativity by Albert Einstein, and ushered in the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. Since then, about one hundred gravitational waves have been detected, including the gravitational signal produced by the coalescence of two neutron stars, accompanied by a plethora of electromagnetic counterparts observed by numerous telescopes around the world.

In this talk, Professor Alessandra Buonanno highlights how the novel astronomical messengers are already unveiling distinctive properties of the most extreme astrophysical objects in the Universe, and discusses the discovery potential of future observatories in space and on the ground, which will open new frequency bandwidths.

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