The past, present, and future of compact-object astrophysics with gravitational waves
Dr. Andrea Biscoveanu
CIERA Postdoctoral Associate
MIT/Northwestern University
Following the first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015, the LIGO and Virgo detectors have now observed over 100 gravitational-wave events from merging compact-object binaries including both black holes and neutron stars. In this talk, I will describe the astrophysical and cosmological sources of audio-band gravitational waves and the techniques used for their detection and characterization. I will give an overview of the latest measurements of the physical properties of the compact-object binary population and their implications for our understanding of how these systems form. I will also discuss the prospects of next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave detectors---which will be sensitive to nearly every merging binary in the Universe---to probe the astrophysical processes shaping these systems.
Hosted by Dr. Nguyen