Abstract: In 2016 the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves; minute distortions in space-time caused by cataclysmic events far away in the universe. In 2017, the collision of two neutron stars was detected by both of the LIGO detectors and the Virgo detector in Italy, triggering a successful follow-up campaign by ground and space-based electromagnetic telescopes. I will talk about the sources of the signals we detected, the physics behind the detectors, and prospects for building a next-gen gravitational-wave observatory known as Cosmic Explorer.
The College of Arts