Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger
Year: 2017
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, first published a century ago, was described by physicist Max Born as "the greatest feat of human thinking about nature."We report on two major scientific breakthroughs involving key predictions of Einstein's theory: the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first observation of the collision and merger of a pair of black holes. This cataclysmic event, producing the gravitational-wave signal GW150914, took place in a distant galaxy more than one billion light years from the Earth. It was observed on September 14, 2015 by the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), arguably the most sensitive scientific instruments ever constructed. LIGO estimated that the peak gravitational-wave power radiated during the final moments of the black hole merger was more than ten times greater than the combined light power from all the stars and galaxies in the observable Universe. This remarkable discovery marks the beginning of an exciting new era of astronomy as we open an entirely new, gravitational-wave window on the Universe.
Source: WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks
Parent work: Centennial of General Relativity: A Celebration
Author: B. P. Abbott
Institution: LIGO Scientific Collaboration
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, Institut des Origines de Lyon, Leverhulme Trust, Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India, Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Science and Technology Facilities Council
Awards: UK Involvement in the Operation of Advanced LIGO, Investigations in gravitational radiation, G1993359131, Equipment in support of Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, G3048158438, Investigations in Gravitational radiation, Proposal for UK Involvement in the Operation of Advanced LIGO, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, Gravitational Waves PROJECT COORDINATION, G5426102616, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, Black-hole-binary simulations for gravitational-wave astronomy, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, Proposal for UK Involvement in the Operation of Advanced LIGO, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, Capital Equipment in support of 'Investigations in Gravitational Radiation', 2014, Astrophysics at the University of Birmingham: Consolidated Grant 2016-2019, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation, Gravitational Wave Astronomy: A New Window onto the Universe, UK Involvement in the Operation of Advanced LIGO, Investigations in Gravitational Radiation
OpenAlex ID: W3084637320