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


NameRoleAffiliationOffice PhoneOffice AddressAffiliated 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

Click here for the full article.


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.

Click here for the full article.


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.

Click here for the full article.


LIGO and Virgo observatories detect neutron star smash-ups

2019-06-01

IGC researchers Cody Messick, Ryan Magee and Alexander Pace provide their perspectives.

Click here for the full article.



IGC projects about Gravitational Waves