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Gravitational wave astrophysics at UBC
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  • The most massive black hole merger detected

    An international team of researchers, including scientists with the University of British Columbia’s gravitational wave astrophysics group, has detected a signal from the most massive black hole merger yet observed. The discovery, outlined in papers published today in Physical Review Letters and The Astrophysical Journal, raises a slew of new questions about the nature of […] Read More

  • No mountains detected yet on millisecond pulsars

    A recently released pre-print by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration reports the most sensitive test yet of the ellipticity of millisecond pulsars. Researchers in the gravitational-wave astrophysics group at UBC played a key role in new results for five known pulsars using data from the most recent LIGO and Virgo observing run. “This […] Read More

  • BH and mystery object

    Discovery of the heaviest neutron star, or lightest black hole, ever observed

    An international team of astrophysicists, including researchers at UBC, have detected the ‘extremely loud’ merger of a black hole with a mystery compact object—the most asymmetric gravitational-wave source yet observed. GW190814, the merger of a heavy black hole with an unidentified compact object about nine times smaller, was reported today in Astrophysical Journal Letters. When […] Read More

  • UBC gravitational wave astrophysics group participates in the #Strike4BlackLives

    The UBC gravitational wave astrophysics group joins the American Physical Society, the AAAS, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the journals Science and Nature, and the arXiv in participating in the strike organized on June 10, 2020. Patrick Brady, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration spokesperson, said of the strike: It’s a call to set aside our usual scholarly […] Read More

  • Zoom_meeting

    UBC GW astrophysics group research continues remotely

    The UBC gravitational-wave astrophysics group has been researching remotely since March 16, 2020. Zoom and slack have been invaluable tools to keep us connected with each other and with our colleagues in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, as well as Virgo and KAGRA. Robert Beda, a UBC student studying Mathematical Physics, has remotely joined the group […] Read More

  • LIGO detectors and sunset

    LIGO-Virgo ends third observing run early

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, LIGO and Virgo decided to suspend their third observing run (O3) roughly a month ahead of schedule. The observing run will end on March 27th instead of the original planned end date, April 30, 2020. From a statement released by the LIGO Laboratory on ligo.caltech.edu: In spite of the early […] Read More

Our team in the news

Television

McIver CTV

Watch a CTV clip on the LIGO-Virgo discovery of an intermediate mass black hole featuring UBC Assistant Prof. Jess McIver


Watch a CBC News interview on the LIGO-Virgo discovery of an intermediate mass black hole featuring UBC
Research Associate Dr. Evan Goetz

Watch Assistant Prof. Jess McIver of UBC speak with Global News about the discovery of an intermediate mass black hole by LIGO and Virgo.

Print

  • Des scientifiques de l’UBC aident à détecter la collision de trous noirs la plus massive jamais observée. FR24 News, Sept 6, 2020
  • Astronomers observe collision of 2 black holes — 7 billion years later. Global News, Sept 5, 2020
  • Largest celestial collision ever detected reveals a new kind of black hole. The Globe and Mail, Sept 2, 2020
  • Black holes collide—and UBC researchers helped detect the signal. The Georgia Straight, Sept 2, 2020
  • Discovery of record-breaking black hole collision surprises astronomers. CBC News, Sept 2, 2020; Yahoo News Sept 2, 2020; The Weather Network, Sept 2, 2020
  • UBC researchers help detect the most massive black hole collision ever observed. UBC news release, Sept 2, 2020
  • LIGO and Virgo observe gravitational waves from the heaviest neutron star or lightest black hole ever observed. UBC Faculty of Science news release, June 2020.
  • What the next supernova can teach us, and why astronomers hope it will come from Betelgeuse. Science Borealis, May 2020.
  • Harmonics in gravitational wave signals observed from collision of black holes for the first time. UBC PHAS news article, April 2020.

Radio

  • CBC Radio: Here and Now (Toronto); The Shift (New Brunswick); Mainstreet (Halifax); Afternoon Drive (London/Windsor); All Points West (Victoria); Homestretch (Calgary); Radio West (Kelowna); Let’s Go (Montreal); Radio Active (Edmonton); Airplay (Whitehorse); Trail’s End (Yellowknife); Up to Speed (Winnipeg); Up North (Sudbury); Afternoon Edition (Saskatchewan); Breakaway (Quebec City)
  • Global News Radio: Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge ( 770 CHQR); Afternoons with Jess Brady (980 CFPL); Mornings with Simi (980 CKNW)
Physics and astronomy
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