Gravitational Wave Astronomy & Multi-Messenger Astrophysics
Listening to ripples in spacetime from colliding neutron stars, black holes, and the early universe.
Listening to Spacetime Strain Oscillations
Predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916 and directly detected for the first time in 2015 by LIGO, gravitational waves are oscillations in the curvature of spacetime. By combining gravitational wave observatories (LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA) with electromagnetic telescopes (gamma-ray, optical, radio) and neutrino observatories (IceCube), multi-messenger astronomy resolves heavy element r-process nucleosynthesis (gold, platinum) and maps relativistic mergers.
Multi-Messenger Milestones
Pulsar Timing Array Stochastic Background
2023NANOGrav and international PTAs detected nanohertz spacetime hums from supermassive binary black hole inspirals.
GW170817 Multi-Messenger Breakthrough
2017Simultaneous gravitational wave, gamma-ray burst, and kilonova detection confirming gold and platinum cosmic origin.
Neutron Star - Black Hole Mergers (GW200105 & GW200115)
2021First confirmed observations of black holes swallowing neutron stars intact.
Interferometric & PTA Technologies
Uses Fabry-Pérot resonant cavities with squeezed light to measure mirror displacements smaller than 1/10,000th the width of a proton.
Monitors microsecond-level clock deviations in dozens of millisecond pulsars across the Milky Way to detect nanohertz ripples.
Triangular 2.5-million-kilometer laser interferometer constellation in heliocentric orbit to probe millihertz frequencies.