Professor Jim Hough, OBE, FRS, FRSE, FInstP, FAPS, FRAS
The Engineering Challenges of Detecting gravitational waves
A century ago, Albert Einstein published his General Theory of
Relativity and part of this theory suggested that there should be waves –
Gravitational Waves – which carry information about violent
gravitational events in the Universe. We now know that there are very
violent events associated with, for example, the coalescence of neutron
stars, and the formation and interactions of black holes. However the
distortions in space time associated with the waves from such events are
predicted to be so small that the experimental challenges associated
with detecting them have been exercising physicists for the last 50
years.
But now, 100 years after the prediction of the existence of
gravitational waves, the advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) have detected such signals for the
first time, the source being coalescing black holes considerably
heavier than the sun. This heralds the opening of a new window in
astronomy.
Jim Hough has had a distinguished career in
Physics and is an international leader in the search for gravitational
waves. He has been awarded an OBE for services to science and is a
Fellow of the Royal Society, among many other accolades.
In this talk, Jim will explain the nature of gravitational waves,
describe what sources can produce them, explain the engineering
background to LIGO, and outline the UK contribution that allowed the
detection to be made. Further, Jim will discuss plans for future
detectors on earth and in space.
Further information