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Annual Archives
2016
Anniversary of the Gravitational-Wave Discovery
Today, we celebrate the anniversary of gravitational-wave astronomy. One year ago, on September 14, 2015, LIGO made the first direct detection of gravitational waves – tiny, rippling distortions in space and time – that were emitted by the tumultuous, dramatic collision of two black holes. Since then, LIGO has confirmed the detections of two binary black hole mergers (maybe even three!), and wit…
Second Detection of Gravitational Waves
On December 26, 2015 at 03:38:53 UTC, the twin detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) observed gravitational waves produced by the collision of two stellar-mass black holes. The black holes that emitted these waves are inferred to have masses of 14 and 8 solar masses, and the final black hole has a mass of 21 solar masses. This event, named GW151226,…
In Search of Dark Dwarf Galaxies
CITA Director Norman Murray is part of a team led by Yashar Hezaveh that recently analyzed and published data that could help solve the mystery of dark matter, which comprises roughly a quarter of the mass-energy in our universe.
The cosmological theory of cold dark matter (CDM) predicts that dark matter, the “glue” that holds our universe together, is cold: its particles move around…
CITA Prof. Pfeiffer and Former Postdoc Van Waerbeke Win the Humboldt Foundation’s Bessel Award
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation [www.humboldt-foundation.de] grants about 20 Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Awards annually, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, to internationally renowned academics from abroad in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments in research to date and their exceptional promise for the future. Award winners are invited to to spend…
First Evidence for Binary Black Hole Mergers
The gravitational waves detected on September 14, 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC from the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is first observation of a binary black hole merger. The initial black holes are found to have individual masses of 29 and 36 solar masses and merged to form a single black hole with a mass of 62 solar masses. The merger occurred at a…
Gravitational Waves Detected
LIGO scientist David Reitze takes us on a 1.3 billion year journey that begins with the violent merger of two black holes in the distant universe. The event produced gravitational waves, tiny ripples in the fabric of space and time, which LIGO detected on September 14, 2015, as they passed Earth.
Credit: LIGO / SXS Collaboration / R. Hurt and T. Pyle
On September 14, 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC t…
Daniel Tamayo is the recipient of the 2015 Jeffrey L. Bishop Fellowship
Daniel Tamayo was awarded the Bishop fellowship for his work in orbital dynamics, particularly his recent research elucidating how forming planetary systems evolve to create the diversity of orbital architectures we observe around other stars today.
In the last twenty years, researchers have discovered thousands of planets orbiting other stars. The results are surprising, with about half of…
Professor J. Richard Bond Receives an Honorary Degree from SMU
On January 23, 2016, CITA Professor J. Richard Bond was one of two exemplary individuals presented with an honorary degree from Saint Mary’s University. He was bestowed a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa degree from SMU to recognize his outstanding contributions to the field of cosmology.
A glowing account of Prof. Bond’s many accomplishments was published on SMU’s news webpage. SMU’s president…