Current Science

The PDF file you selected should load here if your Web browser has a PDF reader plug-in installed (for example, a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader).

If you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with PDFs, Highwire Press provides a helpful Frequently Asked Questions about PDFs.

Alternatively, you can download the PDF file directly to your computer, from where it can be opened using a PDF reader. To download the PDF, click the Download link above.

Fullscreen Fullscreen Off


On 14 September 2015, the twin detectors belonging to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) made a triple discovery: the first direct detection of gravitational waves (GWs), first observation of formation of a black hole and first observation of a binary black hole. Since then LIGO has reported two other events and a marginal candidate. These discoveries have heralded a new era in observational astronomy. They will help us in exploring extremes of astrophysics and gravity. GWs are our best chance of getting an idea of what went on a small fraction of a second after the big bang, even if that takes many more decades. With LIGO's discoveries we hope to solve many puzzles in astronomy and fundamental physics, but GWs are guaranteed to show up objects and phenomena never imagined before.

Keywords

Cosmic Sirens, Gravitational Waves, Coalescing Compact Binaries, General Relativity.
User
Notifications
Font Size