Detailed Information

Nergis Mavalvala, PhD ’97
Dean of the MIT School of Science
Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics

Abstract
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detected gravitational waves for the first time in 2015. Since then, hundreds more astrophysical observations have been confirmed. To detect these spacetime ripples requires measurement with sub-attometer precision. I will describe the quantum technologies that make such a measurement possible, enabling present and future discoveries.

Biography
Nergis Mavalvala PhD ’97 is the Dean of the MIT School of Science and the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics. Her research focuses on the detection of gravitational waves from violent events in the cosmos that warp and ripple the fabric of space-time. She is part of the team that in early 2016 announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, ushering in a new era in astrophysics. Mavalvala has also conducted experiments in the optical trapping and cooling of mirrors to enable observation of quantum phenomena in macroscopic objects. She is the recipient of a 2010 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Mavalvala earned a BA in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College and a PhD in physics from MIT.

Location
Leuchs-Russell Auditorium, A.1.500, Staudtstr. 2
Location details

Zoom
https://eu02web.zoom-x.de/j/66577274842?pwd=MVarkwPKu4p58FEG3Vsv3CGrNRcgxS.1
Meeting-ID: 665 7727 4842
Kenncode: 062606