The Future of Gravitational Wave Science
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Transcript of The Future of Gravitational Wave Science
The Future of
Gravitational Wave Science
Bernard Schutz
Albert Einstein Institute, Potsdam
Einstein@HomeAlbert Einstein Institute
18 December 2006
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Detecting the waves: a long quest• Einstein knew they had to be
there, but he believed they would be too weak to detect.
• Joe Weber built the first detectors, then (1970) believed they were so strong that he had really detected them.
• LIGO, GEO, VIRGO, TAMA started design in 1980s, building in 1990s, operation very recently.
• Meanwhile astronomy has made lots of progress, so we know what we are looking for!
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Verifying Einstein’s theory
• The first detection will verify Einstein’s theory.
• We will be looking not just for the wave but for – How strong it is– How it affects the detectors
(polarization)– How fast it travels (speed = c?)
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Gravitational wave astronomy• Many of our sources are the most energetic
events in the universe. Detecting and following them up is catastrophe science: rare, exciting, informative.
• The effect on our detectors is tiny: the detector stretches by less than the diameter of a proton, over a 4-km baseline.
• Data analysis crucial to separating real waves from local disturbances. – Like listening to someone speaking to you
over a noisy telephone line. – Huge computer power is needed. – Einstein@Home very important to us!
HISSSS…!
Hello?...Hello?...
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Explosions of stars
• What happens in the very center of the supernova explosion?
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Mergers of stars and black holes
• Can we finally SEE black holes?
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Spinning pulsars
• What do neutron stars look like?
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
The very early universe
• Did inflation happen? What led to the laws of physics as we see them now?
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Data analysis
• Data analysis is about listening to all of these signals at once:– Identifying type– Location on sky– Extract understanding
Bernard F Schutz Albert Einstein Institute
Future: LISADetecting waves from space
• Study the early universe back to the first stars and black holes.
• Measure how the acceleration of the universe has changed in the past.
• LISA Pathfinder launch 2009
• LISA itself in 2015, if money permits!
Learn More! Einstein Online at http://www.einstein-online.info