Scientists detect 39 new gravitational wave events
(via UBC News) The LIGO-Virgo Collaboration, including UBC Department of Physics & Astronomy researchers, has confirmed 39 new gravitational wave event detections, more than quadrupling the total known gravitational wave events from 11 to 50. The results, published in four papers on arXiv, and soon to appear in Physical Review X and other journals, were […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Detector characterization at LIGO Livingston
Group members Jess McIver, Evan Goetz, and student Katie Rink visited the LIGO-Livingston detector in Livingston, Louisiana for the LIGO Detector Characterization meeting and noise sprint in January 2020. Jess led the meeting, which focused on plans for LIGO detector noise studies and supporting validation of event candidates in the remainder of the current LIGO-Virgo […]
Harmonics in gravitational wave signals observed from collision of black holes for the first time
Astrophysicists including a team at UBC have observed gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes with distinctly different masses, dubbed GW190412. This discovery gives us a glimpse of subtle harmonics in gravitational wave signals for the first time. These harmonics not only allow improved tests of Einstein’s theory of general relativity, they also allow […]
Conference information
Location Thursday: the McGill Space Institute. Friday: the InterContinental Hotel Montreal, 360 Rue St-Antoine Ouest, Montreal Internet connections The following information is relevant for the Thursday sessions: Wifi networks are available for attendees: eduroam : accounts from attendees’ affiliated institutions will be needed. guest.mcgill.ca: social network (Facebook, Google, etc.) accounts will be needed. Discussion On […]
2022 June GWSkyNet workshop participant List
First name Last name Affiliation Aaron Tohuvavohu University of Toronto Ashish Mahabal California Institute of Technology Daryl Haggard McGill University Jess McIver University of British Columbia Mervyn Chan University of British Columbia Nayyer Raza McGill University Nicholas Vieira McGill University
Montreal information
MSI location: The McGill Space Institute (MSI) is located at 3550 University Street, next to the Rutherford Physics Building. The front door is usually not locked from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. But the door is heavy and sticks a little, a good pull may be needed before it will open. Transportation: The following options […]