Event Detail

The Era of Multi-Messenger Astronomy and Astrophysics has Begun by Dr. Fred Sarazin.

Since their discovery in 2015, gravitational waves have joined
photons, neutrinos and cosmic-rays as astronomical
messengers of our Universe. On August 17, 2017 a neutron star
merger was observed for the first time by the LIGO and VIRGO
gravitational wave detectors. But that's not all! About 2 seconds
after the merger, a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) event was
observed by detectors on board of satellites and the location of
the merger could be pinpointed with high accuracy. Those initial
observations were followed in the hours, days and weeks that
followed by additional detection of electromagnetic radiation at
different wavelengths by other telescopes on the ground and in
space. Hence, for the very first time, a cosmic event was
witnessed and measured using more than one cosmic
messenger. Earlier this year, a high-energy neutrino was
detected by the Ice Cube experiment in Antarctica in
coincidence with gamma-rays during a violent cosmic event.
This marks the discovery of yet another type of multi-messenger
events. The consequences for astronomy and astrophysics are
far reaching and will be discussed throughout this presentation.

CSU-P, The Life Sciences Building, Room 105 (the auditorium)
7pm Sept. 20th. Free of Charge Open to the Public