Prospects for looking deeper into the sky with gravitational-wave observatories

Speaker: Den Martynov

Host: Stefan Ballmer

Abstract: The discoveries made by the LIGO and VIRGO detectors have had a transformative impact on astronomy and astrophysics. Taking full advantage of the gravitational-wave window requires a new network of observatories that can survey the Universe on its largest scales and provide information of broad interest in astrophysics, cosmology, and nuclear physics. In this talk, we will discuss how to detect post-merger oscillations of neutron stars in the local universe and black-hole mergers at cosmological distances. Interestingly, modern macroscopic quantum measurements and interferometric searches of the axion-like particles suffer from similar problems as the LIGO detectors, such as ground vibrations, thermal noises, and quantum noises. We will discuss this connection and show how gravitational-wave technology can improve experiments in other fields.