
Gravitational Waves
Gravitational waves are tiny ripples in space created by accelerating masses such as the orbit of neutron stars and black holes. As a gravitational wave passes through space it changes the distance between two points. Researchers at Penn State study gravitational waves theoretically as well as observationally through the LIGO and Virgo observatories.
IGC members who study Gravitational Waves
Name | Role | Affiliation | Office Phone | Office Address | Affiliated Center(s) | Research Topics(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Shomik Adhicary | Graduate Student | Physics | +1 814 865 7533 | 334 Whitmore | IGC | Gravitational Waves, Dark Matter, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Black Holes |
![]() | Kallan Berglund | Graduate Student | Physics | -- | 322 Whitmore Lab | CFT | Black Holes, Loop Quantum Gravity, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Mukul Bhattacharya | Postdoc | Astronomy, Physics | -- | 320A Osmond | CMA | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos, Cosmic Rays |
![]() | Maitraya Bhattacharyya | Graduate Student | Physics | +1 814 863 9605 | 314 Whitmore Laboratory | CMA | Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | Arnab Dhani | Graduate Student | Physics | +1 814 865 7533 | 317 Whitmore Lab | IGC | Gravitational Waves, Black Holes |
![]() | Pedro Espino | Postdoc | Physics | -- | 320 Whitmore | IGC | Neutrinos, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | Becca Ewing | Graduate Student | Physics | -- | 301 Whitmore | CMA, IGC | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Jacob Fields | Graduate Student | Physics | -- | 321E Whitmore | CMA | Gravitational Waves, Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | Ish Gupta | Graduate Student | Physics | +1 814 865 7533 | 317 Whitmore Lab | IGC | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves, Black Holes |
![]() | James Gurian | Graduate Student | Astronomy | -- | 440 Davey Lab | IGC | Dark Matter, Black Holes, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Eduardo Gutiérrez | Postdoc | Physics | +1 814 863 9605 | 301B Whitmore Lab | IGC | Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos, Gravitational Waves, Cosmic Rays |
![]() | Peter Hammond | Postdoc | Physics | +1 814 863 9605 | 307 Whitmore Lab | IGC | Neutrinos, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | Chad Hanna | Faculty | Physics, ICDS, Astronomy | +1 814 865 2924 | 303 Whitmore | CMA | Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Dark Matter, Black Holes |
![]() | Yun-Jing Huang | Graduate Student | Physics | -- | 334 Whitmore | IGC | Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Rachael Huxford | Graduate Student | Physics | -- | 317 Whitmore | IGC | Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | Donghui Jeong | Faculty | Astronomy | +1 814 865 1117 | 518 Davey Laboratory | CTOC | Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Prathamesh Joshi | Graduate Student | ICDS, Physics | -- | 301D Whitmore | IGC | Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
Rahul Kashyap | Postdoc | Physics | -- | 307 Whitmore Laboratory | IGC | Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics | |
![]() | James Kennington | Graduate Student | Physics | +1 814 865 7533 | Box 66 Whitemore | CFT | Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Sanika Samir Khadkikar | Graduate Student | ICDS, Physics | -- | 321C Whitmore Lab | CMA | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Gooderham McCormick | Graduate Student | Astronomy | +1 814 865 0419 | 537 Davey Laboratory | IGC | Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Mainak Mukhopadhyay | Postdoc | Astronomy, Physics | -- | 320L Osmond Lab | CMA | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos |
![]() | Kohta Murase | Faculty | Physics, Astronomy | +1 814 863 9594 | 321B Osmond Lab | CMA | Cosmic Rays, Neutrinos, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves, Dark Matter |
![]() | Peter Mészáros | Faculty | Physics, Astronomy | 814-863-4167 | 504 Davey Laboratory | CMA | Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
Victoria Niu | Graduate Student | Physics | +1 814 865 7533 | 334 Whitemore Lab | IGC | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves, Dark Matter, Black Holes | |
![]() | Alexander Pace | Staff | Physics | +1 814 865 6995 | 334B Whitmore Lab | IGC | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Surendra Padamata | Graduate Student | Physics | -- | 322 Osmond Laboratory | CMA | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Black Holes, Cosmic Rays, Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos |
![]() | Cort Posnansky | Graduate Student | Physics | +1 814 863 9605 | 334 Whitmore | CMA | Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Aviral Prakash | Graduate Student | ICDS, Physics, Astronomy | -- | 317 Whitmore Laboratory | CMA | Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | Yi Qiu | Graduate Student | Physics | 8142328268 | 114 Osmond Lab | IGC | Gravitational Waves |
![]() | David Radice | Faculty | Astronomy, Physics | +1 814 865 7533 | 304 Whitmore | CMA | Black Holes, Neutrinos, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Samuele Ronchini | Postdoc | Astronomy | 8148657705 | - IV Building | CMA, IGC | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Shio Sakon | Graduate Student | ICDS, Physics | -- | 301D Whitmore Laboratory | IGC | Gravitational Waves, Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | B.S. Sathyaprakash | Faculty | Physics, Astronomy | -- | 312 Whitmore | CMA, CTOC | Gravitational Waves, Dark Matter, Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics |
![]() | Divya Singh | Graduate Student | Physics | -- | 301 Whitmore Lab | IGC | Black Holes, Dark Matter, Gravitational Waves |
![]() | Leo Tsukada | Faculty | Physics | +1 814 863 9605 | 301A Whitmore | IGC | Gravitational Waves |
![]() | V. Ashley Villar | Faculty | Astronomy, ICDS | -- | 517 Davey Lab | CTOC | Multimessenger Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves |
News about Gravitational Waves

Upcoming International Seminar on Gravitational Waves!
2022-03-01
Interested in how scientists collaborate across borders? Or how STEM projects are operated on an international scale?
Then check out the upcoming “Crossing Borders to Map Our Universe” seminar this March 21.
Anyone can join through Zoom here: https://psu.zoom.us/j/92182953190?pwd=d1Z6QmlReWQ5SUdWanJvWllDbDZ4UT09

Two probable black-hole mergers spotted in first weeks after gravitational-wave detector is updated
2019-06-16
Two new probable gravitational waves — ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by cataclysmic cosmic events and first predicted by Albert Einstein over 100 years ago — have been detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo observatory in Italy in the first weeks after the detectors were updated. The IGC team of LIGO scientists, led by Chad Hanna, played a critical role.
Black Holes, Dark Matter & Quantum Gravity, what’s new in Loop Quantum Gravity
2019-06-01
Are black holes related to dark matter? Do the observations of black holes by LIGO hint at a signature of quantum gravity ? Can we find evidence of black holes from a previous universe? In 2019 second place in the Buchalter Cosmology Prize was awarded to two of the speakers you will see in this film which explores some of the above themes. We filmed this at the Loop Quantum Gravity Conference in 2019 and plan to make a follow up film exploring the latest ideas in the field. Look out for the optical illusion around 8:12–8:25. YouTube Video prepared by Monica and Phil Halper. Filmed during Loops19 conference.

LIGO and Virgo observatories detect neutron star smash-ups
2019-06-01
IGC researchers Cody Messick, Ryan Magee and Alexander Pace provide their perspectives.