Date: Tuesday 23 March 2021 at 15:00 (Europe/London)
Speaker: Professor Stephen Fairhurst, School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University & Data Intensive CDT (Cardiff, Bristol, Swansea)
Abstract
Following the first observation of gravitational waves from merging black holes in 2015, we have now observed gravitational wave signals from over 50 binary mergers. In this talk, I will review the most recent observations from the first half of the third LIGO and Virgo observing run. I will highlight some of the most novel events and will discuss the impacts of these observations on the astrophysics of black holes and neutron stars. Finally, I will present results of tests of general relativity using the observed signals from these events.
Biography
I am a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University. My research focuses on identifying gravitational wave signals using the LIGO and Virgo detectors. In particular, I specialise in looking for gravitational wave signals emitted by merging black holes and neutron stars, and using these observations to understand the formation and evolution of black holes in the Universe.
I am also the director of the Cardiff-Bristol-Swansea Data Intensive CDT.
