Reminder: TODAY's ICTP Colloquium on 'GW150914: LIGO's First Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger' by Professor Michele Vallisneri, 15 June 2016 at 16.30 hrs

[Infopoint]

Dear All,

ICTP is pleased to announce that the next ICTP Colloquium on "GW150914: 
LIGO's First Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole 
Merger" by Professor Michele Vallisneri from the California Institute of 
Technology, will take place *TODAY, Wednesday 15 June at 16.30* in the 
Budinich Lecture Hall, Leonardo Building, ICTP.

Abstract:
On September 14 2015, the two LIGO detectors simultaneously observed a 
transient gravitational-wave signal, which was named GW150914. The 
signal fits very precisely the general relativistic prediction for the 
inspiral, merger, and ringdown of a pair of black holes, with component 
masses greater than was thought possible for stellar-mass systems. This 
was the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first 
observation of a binary black hole merger.
M. Vallisneri describes the mechanics of this detection, which 
represents the culmination of 50 years of experimental and theoretical 
efforts; he further discusses the astrophysical implications of 
GW150914, and the tests of general relativity that can be performed with 
the signal. Lastly, he will comment on the importance of GW150914 for 
the field of gravitational-wave detection, and for current and future 
efforts to observe gravitational waves with dedicated space missions and 
with pulsar timing arrays.

Light refreshments will be served after the lecture.

You are all very warmly invited to attend.

Kind regards,
Fernando Quevedo




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