The Dawn of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy

Vicky Kalogera (Northwestern University)

May 26, 2016

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Abstract: I will review the analysis of the first Advanced LIGO observations that launched the era of gravitational-wave astrophysics with the discovery of the GW150914 merger: data search, signal characterization, measurements of source properties. I will discuss how this observation enables the first tests of general relativity in the strong-field regime and what this discovery implies for black- hole astrophysics.