Speaker's Night: Gravitational Waves: The Sirens of the Universe

Get an up-close and personal take on the several Gravitational Waves discoveries that have changed science for the better. With the discovery of gravitational waves in 2015 and the recent observation of a binary neutron star in August 2017, the LIGO-VIRGO collaboration and partners have broken records in physics, astronomy, and interferometry - with still more to come. We will talk about what went into the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) that discovered the first gravitational wave, GW150914, from theoretical, engineering, and computer simulation viewpoints, plus some of the major discoveries that have accompanied the detections since.

Catherine Woodford is a PhD candidate in the Physics Department at the University of Toronto and works in the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA). Her research falls into two streams: binary black hole simulations and exoplanet simulations. She is a member of the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) collaboration and the Centre for Planetary Sciences (CPS), as well as a planetarium operator for the Dunlap Institute and outreach fanatic. When she's not thinking or looking at the sky and what lies beyond, she's volunteering with the Rotaract Club of Toronto, cycling, running, and snowboarding.

Talk starts at 7:30pm, socializing starts at 7:00pm.

Who can attend: Everyone including non-members
Fee: Free
Reservation: Not required
Location: Ontario Science Centre (follow the signs to the RASC meeting)