A New Look at Our Universe with Gravitational Wave Astronomy
© The Physical Society of Japan
This article is on
Gravitational Wave Physics and Astronomy in the nascent era
(PTEP Editors' Choice)
Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptab042.
A new interdisciplinary collaborative project underscores the importance of combining theory with advanced observation techniques to understand gravitational waves and their sources, opening doors to new discoveries about the universe.
The first-ever gravitational waves were directly observed when two massive black holes in close orbit around each other collided to create a ripple in the fabric of space-time. The detection of these waves at LIGO/Virgo facilities marked a new dawn in gravitational wave physics and astronomy where theoretical predictions met actual observational data. This event also opened up new opportunities to test the theory of gravity beyond general relativity and gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of stars, short gamma-ray bursts, and the formation of heavy elements.
Two years after this event, on August 17, 2017, another event occurred: the merging of two binary neutron stars. The observation of this new event led to a paradigm shift in gravitational wave astronomy. It sparked a collaborative project called “Gravitational Wave Physics and Astronomy: Genesis,” where scientists from various fields of physics, working on various instruments, came together to conduct follow-up observations, and shared their insights into what happened during and after the event. This quest into the unknown received a huge boost from the expanding international network of highly sensitive ground-based gravitational interferometers and will receive a further boost from gravitational wave antennas in space.
Over the years, by combining advanced observation techniques with theoretical predictions, new sources of gravitational waves, such as binary neutron stars and massive black holes, have been discovered. Exploration of such gravitational wave events and their sources could be used to probe strong gravity, the physical properties of nuclear matter, the origin of heavy elements, and even potentially rewrite our perception of the universe.
Gravitational Wave Physics and Astronomy in the nascent era
(PTEP Editors' Choice)
Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptab042.
Share this topic
Fields
Related Articles
-
Going Beyond Einstein with Modified Theories of Gravity
Astrophysics, cosmology, and geophysics
2023-9-8
This study comprehends a way to probe modified theories of gravity on cosmological scales by combining theoretical advancements and observational data for upcoming cosmological observations.
-
LiteBIRD: A New Frontier in the Search of Cosmic Inflation Imprint
Astrophysics, cosmology, and geophysics
2023-3-22
The newly selected LiteBIRD satellite aims to detect cosmic inflation signals by identifying the imprint of primordial gravitational waves in the Cosmic Microwave Background polarization.
-
Designing a New Space-borne Interferometer to Probe the History of Our Universe
Astrophysics, cosmology, and geophysics
2021-9-22
Scientists present a new design for a space-born laser interferometer that could detect gravitational waves below 10 Hz, letting us probe into new astrophysical phenomena.