Gravitational Wave Astronomy: A New Window on the Universe
Speaker: Professor Ian Jones MInstP
In the last decade we have witnessed the birth of a brand new way of learning about the Universe: Gravitational Wave Astronomy. Starting
with the observation of two black holes colliding, we have now witnessed over one hundred such cataclysmic events. Described as one of the
greatest scientific breakthroughs of the century, our observations have confirmed a prediction made by Albert Einstein himself, one hundred
years ago. In this talk, I will describe why this is a big deal, what it means for physics and astronomy, what else we have detected, and what we might have to look forward to in the future. The story will take us to some interesting places, involving lasers, super-precise experiments, and, of course, the black holes themselves.
About speaker:
Prof Ian Jones is an expert on astrophysical sources of gravitational waves. He is a member of the Gravity Group in the department of
Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton. He is also a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the group that made the first ever detection of gravitational waves, confirming an outstanding prediction of Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and giving us the most direct view yet of those most mysterious objects - black holes.
Venue information:
* Wheelchair access
* Free parking
* Coffee and Tea from 19:00
Image copyright
(CC BY 4.0) Olena Shmahalo for NANOGrav