Gravitational waves as a research area encompass the theoretical modeling, detection, and astrophysical interpretation of ripples in spacetime predicted by general relativity and alternative gravity theories. This field integrates general relativity, numerical relativity, data analysis, and experimental physics to study compact object mergers, core-collapse supernovae, cosmological backgrounds, and potential beyond–standard-model phenomena. Research focuses on waveform modeling, parameter estimation, tests of gravity in the strong-field regime, and multi-messenger astronomy combining electromagnetic and neutrino signals. It also drives the development and operation of ground- and space-based interferometric observatories, pulsar timing arrays, and analysis pipelines for weak, transient, and stochastic signals.
Scientists have confirmed two long-standing theories relating to black holes—thanks to the detection of the most clearly recorded gravitational wave signal to date.
Astronomy
Sep 10, 2025
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A team of researchers led by the Instituto Galego de Física de Altas Enerxías (IGFAE) from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) has measured for the first time the speed and direction of the recoil of a newborn ...
Astronomy
Sep 9, 2025
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LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, has been called the most precise ruler in the world for its ability to measure motions more than 10,000 times smaller than the width of a proton. By making these ...
Astronomy
Sep 4, 2025
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An international team of researchers has announced a significant advancement in gravitational-wave astronomy, with the detection of 128 new cosmic collisions involving black holes and neutron stars.
Astronomy
Aug 29, 2025
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Black holes embody the ultimate abyss. They are the most powerful sources of gravity in the universe, capable of dramatically distorting space and time around them. When disturbed, they begin to "ring" in a distinctive pattern ...
Astronomy
Jul 31, 2025
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A new method to analyze gravitational-wave data could transform how we study some of the universe's most extreme events—black holes smashing into each other.
Astronomy
Jul 15, 2025
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The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration has detected the merger of the most massive black holes ever observed with gravitational waves using the LIGO observatories. The powerful merger produced a final black hole approximately ...
Astronomy
Jul 13, 2025
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When black holes need a place to crash, they prefer a nice, bright quasar.
Astronomy
Jul 2, 2025
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New research published in Physical Review Letters suggests that superconducting magnets used in dark matter detection experiments could function as highly precise gravitational wave detectors, thereby establishing an entirely ...
In a recently published paper in Physical Review Letters, scientists propose a comprehensive theoretical framework indicating that gravitational wave signals from black hole mergers are more complex than earlier anticipated.
