Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) logo

Dr. Christopher Berry, a gravitational wave astronomer of CIERA and the LIGO scientific collaboration, presents his research in a public lecture. The lecture discusses gravitational waves and their detection, black holes, and Dr.Berry’s research. – – – Visit Christopher Berry’s website: www.cplberry.com

The length of a human life barely registers on the scale of cosmic time. In spite of our relatively tiny size and our limited time here on Earth, a single generation of humans can take giant leaps forward in our understanding of the Universe. Join us to find out how dramatically our story of the

CIERA’s 10th annual public lecture was presented October 11, 2018 by director Vicky Kalogera. Kalogera’s talk–a glimpse into the years of fascinating work conducted by CIERA–highlighted key discoveries and what they mean for the future of astronomy. Kalogera discussed the lives of stars, how their influence on the Cosmos has changed in the recent decade,

Black holes may hold the key to understanding the most fundamental truths of the universe, but how do you see something that’s, well, black? Astronomers think they have the answer. Thanks to a global array of radio telescopes that turn the Earth into a giant receiver, we may soon have the first picture of the

Filmed at the Chicago History Museum as part of The Phi Betta Kappa Society’s (En)Lightning Talks Chicago event series. Vicky Kalogera is a professor at Northwestern University, and the co-founder and director of CIERA.

CIERA director Vicky Kalogera discusses her work and the recent discovery of evidence of the existence of gravitational waves in the universe.

LIGO – Virgo discovery marks first cosmic event observed in both gravitational waves and light. Announcement made at the National Press Club, Washington, DC. Panel with representatives from various telescopes, begins at 51:21 (Please note that Marica Branchesi’s institutional affiliation is incorrectly indicated in the video. The correct affiliation for Dr. Branchesi is Gran Sasso

This simulation shows a binary-binary encounter involving four black holes, which can occur at the cores of dense stellar systems such as gloublar clusters. Such encounters can lead to long-lived “resonating” interactions, through which many temporary binary systems are created. By incorporating a more accurate description of Einstein’s gravity in the equations of motion, the formation

Astronomers using ALMA studied a cataclysmic stellar explosion known as a gamma-ray burst, or GRB, and found its enduring “afterglow.” The rebound, or reverse shock, triggered by the GRB’s powerful jets slamming into surrounding debris, lasted thousands of times longer than expected. These observations provide fresh insights into the physics of GRBs, one of the

CIERA Associate Director and Northwestern LIGO group member Shane Larson says that inspiration and collaboration, two huge parts of scientific discoveries, can help us solve society’s problems.

An international research collaboration, including four Northwestern University astronomers, is the first to detect the spectacular collision of two neutron stars in a nearby galaxy using both gravitational waves and light.

CIERA Director and Northwestern LIGO group lead Vicky Kalogera talks about the different types of waves astronomers have used throughout history to study the Universe. Now, we are in the age of “multi-messenger” astronomy. This means that different types of waves from the same cosmic event can be studied.

CIERA Director Vicky Kalogera and Associate Director Shane Larson talk about the history of gamma ray bursts, and the theory that short gamma ray bursts are caused by collisions of neutron starts. Now, that puzzle is solved!

Northwestern University astronomers talk about gravitational waves — what they are, how to understand them, and why they are important to studying the Universe.