Event Description
Steve McMillan, PhD, professor and head of physics
One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein predicted that when massive objects interact, they should emit gravitational radiation — ripples in the curvature of spacetime that move outward as waves at the speed of light. Theorists debated the properties, and the very existence, of gravitational waves for decades, but by the 1960s the community had largely concluded that Einstein was right. However, the effect of gravitational radiation on matter is tiny, and detecting it is a very challenging task. In September 2015, scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory announced the first detection of gravitational radiation. Steve McMillan, PhD, will describe some of the theoretical, engineering, computational and astrophysical advances that combined to enable this groundbreaking observation, and will discuss the prospects for gravitational wave astronomy as a probe of the Universe. This event is free and open to the Drexel community. Light refreshments will be served. |