Observation of Gravitational Waves

• Jo van den Brand

Room: H331 Abstract: Recently, the LIGO Virgo Consortium achieved the first detections of gravitational waves from binary black holes merging to form single black holes. The detected waveforms match the predictions of general relativity for the inspiral and merger of a pair of black holes and the ringdown of the resulting single black hole. These observations demonstrate the existence of binary stellar-mass black hole systems. Our observations provide unique access to the properties of space-time in the strong-field, high velocity regime and can be used to test the predictions of general relativity for the nonlinear dynamics of highly disturbed black holes. The scientific impact of the recent detection will be explained. In addition key technological aspects will be addresses, such as the interferometric detection principle, optics, and sensors and actuators. The lecture will close with a discussion of the largest challenges in the field, including plans for a detector in space (eLISA), and Einstein Telescope (ET), a large underground observatory for gravitational waves astronomy.