School of Physics CRA Seminar Dr. Maximiliano Isi

Speaker: Dr. Maximiliano Isi

Host: Dr. Surabhi Sachdev

Title: Gravitational waves: from black holes to the cosmos

Abstract: 

Gravitational waves reveal the universe through an entirely unique spectrum, complementary to electromagnetic and neutrino observations. Although the field is young, it has already revolutionized our understanding of black holes and neutron stars, with implications for gravity, stellar and galactic astrophysics, nuclear physics and cosmology. In this talk, I will review some of these results with a focus on black hole mergers—currently the most abundant source of gravitational waves. I will outline the astrophysical puzzle of heavy black-hole mergers, and their use to study physics and cosmology. This is an exciting, observationally-driven field with abundant open questions, which will continue to grow in the following decades thanks to new and improved instruments. With the right analysis tools and theoretical foundation, the potential for discovery is unprecedented.