Public Lecture | Gravitational Waves
Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 26 Μαΐ 2016
On
September 14, 2015, the Advanced Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) made the first direct measurement
of a gravitational wave coming from deep space. That wave was generated
by the collision of two black holes about 1.3 billion light-years from
Earth. As the black holes violently merged, they released as much energy
in a fraction of a second as our entire galaxy emits in 4,000 years.
But by the time the resulting gravitational wave reached Earth it was
tiny, stretching the 4-kilometer-long LIGO detectors by just a tiny
fraction of the diameter of a proton. How can scientists be sure they
have seen such a tiny effect? What can it tell us about one of the most
violent events in the universe? Can we expect to see more gravitational
waves, opening up a new type of astronomy? Brian Lantz discusses the
implications of the gravity wave observation and the remarkable
instruments that made it possible.
About the speaker:
Brian
Lantz began working on LIGO in 1990 as an undergraduate student in Rai
Weiss’s lab at MIT, where he received his PhD for LIGO-related research.
Lantz then moved to Stanford to join the group of Robert Byer and
Martin Fejer. There he ran the Engineering Test Facility to develop
advanced concepts for LIGO and, with Dan DeBra, led research for the
Advanced LIGO seismic isolation system.
Today, he is a senior
research scientist at Stanford and lead scientist for the seismic
isolation systems that support the optics of Advanced LIGO. He also
chairs the LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s working group on seismic
isolation systems for the next generation of gravitational wave
detectors – a role that involves precision engineering, servo control,
precision measurements, interferometer operation and making big physics
experiments work.
September 14, 2015, the Advanced Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) made the first direct measurement
of a gravitational wave coming from deep space. That wave was generated
by the collision of two black holes about 1.3 billion light-years from
Earth. As the black holes violently merged, they released as much energy
in a fraction of a second as our entire galaxy emits in 4,000 years.
But by the time the resulting gravitational wave reached Earth it was
tiny, stretching the 4-kilometer-long LIGO detectors by just a tiny
fraction of the diameter of a proton. How can scientists be sure they
have seen such a tiny effect? What can it tell us about one of the most
violent events in the universe? Can we expect to see more gravitational
waves, opening up a new type of astronomy? Brian Lantz discusses the
implications of the gravity wave observation and the remarkable
instruments that made it possible.
About the speaker:
Brian
Lantz began working on LIGO in 1990 as an undergraduate student in Rai
Weiss’s lab at MIT, where he received his PhD for LIGO-related research.
Lantz then moved to Stanford to join the group of Robert Byer and
Martin Fejer. There he ran the Engineering Test Facility to develop
advanced concepts for LIGO and, with Dan DeBra, led research for the
Advanced LIGO seismic isolation system.
Today, he is a senior
research scientist at Stanford and lead scientist for the seismic
isolation systems that support the optics of Advanced LIGO. He also
chairs the LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s working group on seismic
isolation systems for the next generation of gravitational wave
detectors – a role that involves precision engineering, servo control,
precision measurements, interferometer operation and making big physics
experiments work.
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