2nd COFI Workshop on Gravitational Waves

America/Puerto_Rico
Larson Shane (Northwestern University), Marcelle Soares-Santos (Brandeis University), Mayda Velasco (Northwestern University (US))
Description


Conference call pin#: 1984

 

Abstract for public:
The collision of celestial objects can be so powerful that they create distortions in spacetime, known as gravitational waves. Albert Einstein predicted their existence more than a 100 years ago, but the effects are so tiny that even Einstein thought they could never be detected. After 40 years of controversy, theorists finally developed a consensus that they really do exist and experimental physicists and astronomers have managed to detected, both in an indirect and direct manner. Both  experimental triumphs were awarded with a Nobel Prize in 1993 and 2017, respectively. Since the gravitational waves are due to accelerating masses  that can travel vast  distances it is reasonable to expect many sources sources. In contrast with light waves, gravitational waves are not blocked or altered by interactions with matter in the universe. Therefore, making it  possible to give us information about the origins of our universe and tell us what happens when  massive stars collide or explode. By now experimental physicists and astronomers have developed instruments sensitive enough to detected those produced from the merger of binary black holes and from the development  of a binary neutron star.  At the moment,  gravitational waves are detected  using enormous detectors that have two perpendicular arms. A passing gravitational wave will slightly increase the length of one arm while decreasing the other, and finely tuned lasers will pick up these distortions. This type of detector is called an interferometer. Scientists are actively developing new techniques in order to be sensitive to fainter gravitational waves. Future experiments will include giant space-based observatories that will be sensitive to Primordial Gravitational Waves. These waves are a window to the early Universe and the  only probe of the inflationary period. The proposed  workshop will  gather the world experts and advanced students to discuss the motivation and the experimental challenges of future measurements of  gravitational waves.

Registration
Participants
  • Friday, 26 October
    • 09:00 09:30
      Registration and Breakfast 30m
    • 09:30 10:30
      LIGO status and prospects for the next observing season 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Prof. Shane Larson (Northwestern University)
    • 10:30 11:30
      Computational challenges for Multi Messenger Astronomy 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Kenneth Herner
    • 11:30 11:50
      Coffee Break 20m
    • 11:50 12:50
      Eelectro Magentic Searches for Ultra-Compact White Dwarfs 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Warren Brown
    • 12:50 13:40
      Lunch break 50m
    • 13:40 14:40
      Astrophysics of Interacting Binaries with LISA and GAIA 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Katie Breivik
    • 14:40 15:40
      LISA Verification Binaries 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Thomas Kupfer
    • 15:40 16:00
      Coffee Break 20m
    • 16:00 17:00
      Search and Discovery of GW optical counterparts 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Maria Charisi (Columbia University)
    • 17:00 19:00
      Dinner 2h
  • Saturday, 27 October
    • 09:30 10:30
      Multimessenger Signatures of MBH in Dwarf Galaxies 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Jillian Bellovary
    • 10:30 11:30
      Modeling EM Signatures of MBH Mergers 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Laura Blecha
    • 11:30 11:50
      Coffee Break 20m
    • 11:50 12:50
      Using LIGO to constrain Kilonova Yields 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Chris Pankow (Northwestern university)
    • 12:50 13:40
      Lunch Break 50m
    • 13:40 14:40
      GW from Core Collapse Supernovae 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Sarah Gossan
    • 14:40 15:40
      Looking for IMBHs with Next Generation VLA & Connections to LISA 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Kristina Nyland
    • 15:40 16:00
      Coffee Break 20m
    • 16:00 17:00
      Kilonova Astrophysics Models 1h

      45 minutes talk and 15 minutes discussion

      Speaker: Enrico Ruiz
    • 17:00 19:00
      Dinner 2h