Aperitivo Scientifico: Opening the gravitational wave window to the Universe

by Prof. Eugenio Coccia (University of Rome "Tor Vergata" and Gran Sasso Science Institute (INFN))

Friday 22 Apr 2016, 11:30 → 12:30 Europe/Rome

aula A (Dipartimento di Fisica)

Gravitational waves were predicted 100 years ago by Einstein as ripples in spacetime caused by the acceleration of masses. After more than 50 years of experimental efforts, on September 14, 2015, the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) simultaneously observed a transient gravitational-wave signal, opening an entirely new way of experiencing the universe. The study of gravitational waves will give unique information on the existence and nature of dark compact objects, like black holes and neutron stars, and on gravitational physics at extreme conditions. Also, the study of primordial gravitational waves would uniquely allow the investigation of processes in the very early universe. This researchmotivates about one thousand scientists all over the world, constructing large laser interferometers and using advanced technologies and data analysis algorithms. The status of the field will be reviewed, at the light of the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first observation of a binary black hole merger.

Slides Coccia_Bologna2016.pdf