Polarization map of the CMB + galactic foregrounds at 140 GHz
Credit: Susanna Azzoni (Oxford)

Cosmology seminar: General relativistic precession in black hole binaries

31 Jan 2023
Seminars and colloquia
Time
Venue
Beecroft Seminar Room
Denys Wilkinson Building, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH
Speaker(s)

Charlie Hoy (University of Portsmouth)

Seminar series
Cosmology
Knowledge of physics?
Yes, knowledge of physics required

Abstract:

A direct measurement of general relativistic precession has been one of the most highly anticipated results from gravitational-wave observations since the first detection in 2015. In this talk I will show that the wait is finally over: the first detection of general relativistic precession was observed on the 29th January 2020 from a coalescing black-hole binary, a breakthrough result that is ten orders of magnitude larger than any previous measurement from binary pulsars. I will also discuss the prospects of observing another precessing binary in the next LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run and discuss its implications on binary black hole formation mechanisms.