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SUMMARY:Probing the Dark Side of the Universe with Gravitational Waves - D
 r. Martin Hendry\, University of Glasgow
DTSTART:20100127T200000Z
DTEND:20100127T210000Z
UID:TALK22610@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Rebecca Bowler
DESCRIPTION:     Gravitational waves - the "ripples in spacetime" predicte
 d by Einstein's general theory of relativity - are believed to be produced
  by some of the most violent events in the cosmos: gamma ray bursts\, coll
 iding black holes\, supernova explosions\, even the Big Bang itself. And y
 et by the time these ripples reach the Earth they are incredibly weak - ty
 pically producing movements less than a thousandth the width of a proton. 
 Consequently the quest to detect gravitational waves directly presents an 
 enormous technological challenge and has led to the design and constructio
 n of a worldwide network of laser interferometric detectors that are the m
 ost sensitive scientific instruments ever built. \n\n    In this talk\, Dr
 . Martin Hendry will highlight the nascent field of gravitational wave ast
 ronomy\, using gravitational wave detectors as telescopes to help answer a
  wide range of astrophysical questions from neutron-star physics to cosmol
 ogy. The next generation of ground-based telescopes should be able to make
  extensive gravitational observations of some of the more energetic events
  in our local universe. Looking only slightly further ahead\, within the n
 ext 10 to 15 years the space-based LISA observatory should reveal the grav
 itational universe in phenomenal detail\, supplying high-quality data on p
 erhaps thousands of gravitational wave sources. These data should allow us
  to tackle some of the most fascinating problems in astrophysics - from th
 e origin of black holes to the nature of dark energy. \n\n    The talk wil
 l be held in the Pharmacology Lecture Theatre on Wednesday 27th January at
  8.00pm. It's free for members and £2 for non-members\, and includes a wi
 ne reception afterwards in the tea room upstairs. 
LOCATION:Pharmacology Lecture Theatre
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