In 2016, the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO) announced the first observation of gravitational-waves from colliding black boles. The following year, the observation of a binary neutron star merger…
In 2016, the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO) announced the first observation of gravitational-waves from colliding black boles. The following year, the observation of a binary neutron star merger…
By Dan Bernardi September 12, 2025 Ten years ago, a faint ripple in the fabric of space-time forever changed our understanding of the Universe. On September 14, 2015, scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LI…
Stars exist as gigantic nuclear reactors: in the interior of a star, the fusion of light elements (e.g., hydrogen) into heavier elements (e.g., helium) yields a continuous supply of energy, and that energy ultimately balances the inward pul…
A history of the past ten years of gravitational-wave observation from the first discovery of black hole merger in 2015 to the start of the most recent observing run in 2024. In September 2015 Les Guthman arrived at the LIGO Louisiana Obser…
The National Science Foundation’s Advanced LIGO detectors are the world’s most sensitive gravitational-wave detectors. They have revolutionized astrophysics with their breakthrough discoveries in 2015 and 2017. After further improvement (LI…
Finite Element Modeling: The ideal design of a physics experiment involves the measurement of a single, independent process or parameter. However, in practice the experimenter is often required to work with complex geometries and multiple c…
A fundamental prerequisite for quantum sensing, computing and metrology is the preservation of quantum coherence. LIGO provides an important testbed for understanding decoherence effects in a practical setting. In particular, intrinsically
Black holes and neutron stars rank among the most mysterious and extreme entities in the cosmos. Black holes are regions in space where gravity pulls so much that nothing, not even light, can escape their grasp. They are often formed when m…
Neutron rich matter is produced when any material is compressed enough so that electrons are captured by protons to create neutrons. This material is at the heart of many fundamental questions in nuclear physics and astrophysics. What are t…
Any object in the Universe experiences a tidal force, which is the difference in the gravitational force across the size of that object. The Earth experiences tides from the Moon (and the Sun) owing to the fact that one side of the Earth is…
At the heart of the Cosmic Explorer concept are 40km and 20km laser interferometers operating with unprecedented strain sensitivity, an order of magnitude greater than that of Advanced LIGO. The improved sensitivity is primarily afforded by…