LIGO surpasses the quantum limit

Researchers achieve a landmark in quantum squeezing.

Whitney Clavin • mit
Oct. 23, 2023 ~16 min

A subtle symphony of ripples in spacetime – astronomers use dead stars to measure gravitational waves produced by ancient black holes

Astronomers have for the first time detected the background hum of gravitational waves likely caused by merging black holes.

Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona • conversation
June 30, 2023 ~9 min


Gravitational wave detector LIGO is back online after 3 years of upgrades – how the world's most sensitive yardstick reveals secrets of the universe

Upgrades to the hardware and software of the advanced observatory should allow astrophysicists to detect much fainter gravitational waves than before.

Chad Hanna, Professor of Physics, Penn State • conversation
May 22, 2023 ~10 min

Astronomers have found an especially sneaky black hole – discovery sheds light on star death, black hole formation and gravitational waves

Astronomers have discovered the first dormant black hole outside of the Milky Way. These black holes are not absorbing matter from a nearby star, making them incredibly hard to find.

Idan Ginsburg, Academic Faculty in Physics & Astronomy, Georgia State University • conversation
July 25, 2022 ~7 min

Astronomy's 10-year wish list: Big money, bigger telescopes and the biggest questions in science

The astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey for the 2020s lays out plans to search for life on distant planets, understand the formation of galaxies and solve deep mysteries of physics.

Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona • conversation
March 28, 2022 ~9 min

Black hole ‘billiards’ may explain mystery mergers

The answer to a complex mystery may involve a chaotic triple drama inside a giant disk of gas around a super massive black hole in a galaxy far, far away.

U. Copenhagen • futurity
March 14, 2022 ~9 min

Astronomers think they've just spotted an 'invisible' black hole for the first time

Some black holes are isolated in space and therefore near impossible to detect.

Andrew Norton, Professor of Astrophysics Education, The Open University • conversation
Feb. 7, 2022 ~7 min

Big bang: how we are trying to 'listen' to it – and the new physics it could unveil

How scientists are planning to listen to the sound of the big bang with a gravitational wave detector that would fit in a kitchen.

Francesco Muia, Postdoctoral Researcher, Theoretical Physics and Cosmology, Stephen Hawking Fellow, University of Cambridge • conversation
July 15, 2021 ~8 min


What happens when black holes collide with the most dense stars in the universe

The aftermath of a black hole colliding with a neutron star has been recorded on Earth.

Martin Krause, Senior Lecturer, University of Hertfordshire • conversation
June 30, 2021 ~7 min

Team finds brand new type of black hole

"Astronomers were making bets if such black holes existed or not, and people believed they could not exist, but we found it."

U. Florida • futurity
Sept. 3, 2020 ~4 min

/

2