Searching for – and finding! gravitational waves

• Gabriela Gonzalez (Louisiana State U, LIGO)

On September 14 2015, the two LIGO gravitational wave detectors in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana registered a nearly simultaneous signal with time-frequency properties consistent with gravitational-wave emission by the merger of two massive compact objects. Further analysis of the signals by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration revealed that the gravitational waves detected by LIGO came from the merger of a binary black hole (BBH) system. This observation, followed by another one in December 2015, marked the beginning of gravitational wave astronomy. I will describe some details of the observation, the status of LIGO and Virgo ground-based interferometric detectors, and prospects for future observations.

Gravitational Waves from GR and Beyond

• Eugene Lim (KCL)

I will review the theory behind gravitational waves: what are they and how do we calculate them in theory and practice, in particular for the aLIGO. I will then discuss what the recent LIGO detections can serve as tests of GR and other exotic physics.

Searches for optical signatures of gravitational wave events in the Dark Energy Survey

• Marcelle Soares-Santos (Fermilab)

In this talk I present recent results of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) searches for optical counterparts to gravitational wave events detected by the LIGO/Virgo interferometers. DES is the greatest optical imaging survey yet, aiming at percent-level precision measurements of cosmological parameters from a combination of probes such as type Ia supernovae, galaxy clusters, and weak gravitational lensing. With a wide field of view and a large aperture telescope, the DES camera is well matched to the challenge. Our program achieves greater sensitivity than any other optical facility. In this talk I will also briefly discuss exciting prospect for future observing campaigns.

Opening up another gravitational window on the Universe: The LISA low-frequency gravitational wave mission

• Timothy Sumner (Imperial College London)

ESA has adopted ‘The Gravitational Universe’ as the science theme for its L3 mission which will be launched in the time frame 2029-2034. With the resounding success of the LISA Pathfinder mission, and the re-entry of NASA, the most likely mission scenario is LISA-like. The LISA Pathfinder results will be summarised and the consequent LISA science capabilities will be described. The mission timeline and technologies will be outlined.

UK Hardware Development for Advanced LIGO

• Giles Hammond (Edinburgh)

The Advanced LIGO detectors in Livingston, Louisiana and Hanford, Washington are the most sensitive length measuring devices in the world. Technology developed and delivered under the UK ALUK project include the fused silica monolithic suspensions, optical sensors/electromagnetics actuators and high voltage driver amplifiers. In this talk I will provide an overview of the fused silica suspension technology, pioneered in GEO 600, and the ongoing support/characterisation work at the sites.