International Summer Research Program in Gravitational-Wave Physics:
Research Experiences for Undergraduates around the world



University of Milano-Bicocca
  • The (astro)physics behind current and future gravitational-wave observations. :
    The first observations of gravitational waves by LIGO have ushered us into the golden age of gravitational-wave discoveries. The observed number of events is growing at a fast pace, with thousands of new detections expected in the next few years as detectors reach their design sensitivities. Such large catalogs of gravitational-wave observations are opening new, unprecedented opportunities in terms of both fundamental physics and astrophysics. Crucially, they will need to be faced with increasingly accurate predictions. First, among large catalogs, there will be "golden'' events. We expect systems that, because of their properties, are particularly interesting to carry out some specific measurements (perhaps because of their favorable orientations, or because they are very massive, or very rapidly rotating, etc). Second, large catalogs need to be exploited with powerful statistical techniques. In the long run, future facilities like LISA will deliver new kinds of sources providing access to a whole new set of phenomena in both astrophysics and fundamental physics. New theoretical tools and techniques need to be developed (and immediately applied!) to maximize the scientific payoff of current and future gravitational-wave observatories.
    Mentor: Davide Gerosa
    Related Project 2021: "Investigating the Properties of Higher-Generation Black-Hole Mergers"



    • Past IREU Projects
    Other Prior Projects