OXFORD,Miss. – Nearly a century ago, Albert Einstein imagined the propagation
of gravitational waves in space, which is the genesis of a concert to
be performed Feb. 5 and 6 at the University of Mississippi.
The
program “Einstein’s Cosmic Messengers” illustrates Einstein’s vision in
a multimedia format featuring renowned composer and percussionist
Andrea Centazzo. Held in Nutt Auditorium, the free, public
presentations celebrate the International Year of Astronomy.
The
Thursday show, set for 8 p.m., is the second-ever public performance of
the concert, preceded only by its world premiere Oct. 30, 2008, at the
California Institute of Cosmology.
Friday’s 1 p.m. performance
is aimed at eighth- and ninth-graders and other students, and area
schools are invited to bring groups to the show.
The concert is
co-sponsored by the departments of astronomy and music, the College of
Liberal Arts, the Office of Research and Sponsored programs, and the
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.
Centazzo plays both digital and acoustic instruments to a video synchronized and edited with astronomical photos, including conceptual images of gravitational waves, which are ripples in the fabric of space and time as the result of violent astronomical events.
Einstein first predicted the existence of these waves in 1916, but only in the last 20 years have scientists developed the technology to detect them. This technology is best utilized in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, a project supported by more than 500 researchers – including several UM faculty members – with facilities in Livingston, La., and Hanford, Wash. The concept for the production was compiled by physicist Michele Vallisneri to celebrate LIGO’s first 10 years of success.
For each presentation, Marco Cavaglia, UM assistant professor of physics and astronomy, plans to give a brief introduction to astronomical phenomena such as black holes and gravitational waves. Cavaglia serves as chair of the education and outreach group of the LIGO collaboration.
“What makes this event really fascinating and unique is that for the first time the science of gravitational waves and the physics of the most violent and energetic phenomena in the cosmos – from black holes and exploding stars to the Big Bang itself – are interpreted through a multisensory musical experience,” Cavaglia said.
During his nearly 30-year career, Centazzo has given more than a thousand concerts in the United States and Europe and has released more than 60 CDs and LPs, authored more then 350 musical compositions and written eight books on musicology.
For more information on Centazzo and his music, go to http://www. andreacentazzo.com. For more information on education and research in physics and astronomy at UM, go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/physics?and?astronomy/ . For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7642.