{"id":56277,"date":"2016-02-10T15:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T21:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=56277"},"modified":"2016-02-11T09:44:32","modified_gmt":"2016-02-11T15:44:32","slug":"scientists-to-provide-update-thursday-on-search-for-gravitational-waves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/scientists-to-provide-update-thursday-on-search-for-gravitational-waves\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists to Provide Update Thursday on Search for Gravitational Waves"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ole

Ole Miss astronomy students study the stars on a clear winter evening.<\/p><\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 University of Mississippi students, faculty and staff, as well as science enthusiasts from the Oxford community, are invited to a live viewing event at 9:30 a.m. Thursday (Feb. 11) in Lewis Hall auditorium, Room 101, as the National Science Foundation brings together scientists from Caltech, MIT and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory Scientific Collaboration for a status report on the effort to detect gravitational waves, or ripples in the fabric of space-time.<\/p>\n

The live broadcast from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., will be preceded by a brief introduction by Lucien Cremaldi, UM chair and professor of physics and astronomy. Doors will open at\u00a09 a.m., and the event is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n

As a follow-up to this event, Katherine Dooley, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, and Marco Cavaglia, associate professor of physics and astronomy, both members of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, will host a Q&A session about the latest LIGO research at 4 p.m. Feb. 16 in Lewis Hall.<\/p>\n

They also will lead a session of the department’s monthly Science Cafe at 6 p.m. that day at Lusa Bakery Bistro and Bar, 1120 North Lamar Blvd.<\/p>\n

A public lecture is being planned for later in February. More details about these events will be posted on the websites of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, http:\/\/www.phy.olemiss.edu<\/a>, and the Oxford Science Caf\u00e9, http:\/\/www.phy.olemiss.edu\/oxfordsciencecafe<\/a>, as they become available. A special exhibit about the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, known as LIGO, also will be on display in the lobby of the Ole Miss Student Union through the end of February.<\/p>\n

LIGO, a system of two identical detectors constructed to detect incredibly tiny vibrations from passing gravitational waves, was conceived and built by MIT and Caltech researchers, funded by the National Science Foundation, with significant contributions from other U.S. and international partners. The twin detectors are in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington.<\/p>\n

Research and analysis of data from the detectors is carried out by a global group of scientists, including the LSC, which includes the GEO600 Collaboration and the VIRGO Collaboration. UM has been a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration since 2007.<\/p>\n

For additional background about the project, go to:<\/p>\n