The September 22 meeting of the RASC Mississauga Centre will feature a talk on gravitational waves.
Speaker: Catherine Woodford, University of Toronto, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
Title: The Discovery of Gravitational Waves
A video of what GW150914 would have looked like if we were close enough to see it
Abstract:
Get an up-close and personal take on the Gravitational Waves discovery that has changed science for the better. Considered the most influential discovery of the century, gravitational wave GW150914 broke records in physics, astronomy, and interferometry - with still more to come. We will talk about what went into the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) that discovered GW150914 from theoretical, engineering, and computer simulation viewpoints, and discuss the outlooks on the future of gravitational wave astronomy.
The detection of gravitational wave GW150914
Bio: I'm a 2nd year PhD candidate in the Physics Department at the University of Toronto and work in the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA). My research falls into two streams: binary black hole simulations and exoplanet simulations. I am a member of the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) collaboration and the Centre for Planetary Sciences (CPS), as well as a planetarium operator for the Dunlap Institute and outreach fanatic. When I'm not thinking or looking at the sky and what lies beyond, I'm volunteering with the Rotaract Club of Toronto, cycling, running, and snowboarding.
The meeting will be held from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. at The University of Toronto,Mississauga Campus, in lecture hall SE2074 in the William Davis Building. The meeting is open to the public and is free.
Enter off of Mississauga Road. Park in lot 4 or the parkade, across from the fitness centre south of theDavis Building. Enter through the Fitness centre, walk up the stairs until you reach the main corridor then turn right. (If you need an elevator,follow the corridor to the right of the stairs, then go up to the mainfloor.) Look for the Mississauga Centre sign in front of the lecture room.
Post meeting plans: we usually continue the discussion post-meeting at a local bar – please join us!
