Welcome LNF Director

• Pierluigi Campana (LNF)

Room: Aula Bruno Touschek

Birth and development of the experiments searching for gravitational waves

• Guido Pizzella (LNF)

Room: Aula Bruno Touschek The birth and development of the experimental search for gravitational waves is described, from the first Weber experiment to the cryogenic resonant bars, to the laser interferometers. The contribution of the Rome group during a period of fortysix years is described. The cryogenic detectors EXPLORER and NAUTILUS and the results achieved are shown.

The direct detection of Gravitational waves

• Fulvio Ricci (ROMA1)

Room: Aula Bruno Touschek The observation of gravitational waves emitted by the coalescence of two binary black holes, opened a new era in fundamental physics and astronomy. We will discuss in more details the discovery and some of the main consequences derived by analysing the signal.

GW150914: astrophysical implications and multi-messenger astronomy

• Marica Branchesi (FI)

Room: Aula Bruno Touschek The new era of gravitational wave astronomy started with the discovery of the gravitational-wave source GW150914 by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations. The signal provides the first observational evidence of the inspiral and merger of binary black holes and the existence of black holes with mass larger than 25 solar masses. Electromagnetic and high-energy-neutrino follow-up observations have been performed marking the beginning of hystorical multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. The talk will summarize the astrophysical implications of the discovery and the multi-messenger follow-up campaign of GW150914.