Astrophysics with Gravitational-Wave Detectors – Vuk Mandic
Date: Tue. February 8th, 2011, 11:30 am-12:30 pmLocation: Rockefeller 221
Gravitational waves are predicted by the general theory of relativity to be produced by accelerating mass systems with quadrupole moment. The amplitude of gravitational waves is expected to be very small, so the best chance of their direct detection lies with some of the most energetic events in the universe, such as mergers of two neutron stars or black holes, Supernova explosions, or the Big-Bang itself. I will review the status of current gravitational-wave detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), as well as some of the most recent results obtained using LIGO data. I will also discuss plans and expectations for the future generations of gravitational-wave detectors.