This lecture will be live streamed

Gravitational waves are minute disturbances of space itself, which can arise from distant and massive but compact bodies, such as black holes and neutronstars. Using them, scientists are probing some of the most exotic phenomena in the Universe. Insights from discoveries made so far, including some surprising new objects, will be presented, along with the potential for new discoveries that will make gravitational waves essential to the next century of astronomy and cosmology.

Our speaker, Professor Keith Riles, has carried out research in both experimental particle physics and gravitational wave physics. As a charter member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), founded in 1997, he initially led the LIGO detector characterization group and more recently has led searches for continuous gravitational waves from galactic neutron stars. His group at the University of
Michigan hunts for signals from waves ten thousand times weaker than the first gravitational waves detected in September 2015.

This is the second of a six-lecture series. The subject of the series is Advances in Science. The next lecture will be on January 28, 2021. The title is Answered and Unanswered Questions in Particle Physics
Learn from well-known experts about an array of interesting subjects, with an interactive Q&A period following each lecture.

Preregistration is required via the OLLI website or phone. A link to access the lecture will be e-mailed to you approximately one week prior to the first session.