The discovery of gravitational waves has not only led to a Nobel prize in the field, due to its pivotal importance, but also opened up a new era of astronomy where black holes and neutron stars have become observable kinds of objects.
Gravity@Malta will host acclaimed international speakers, Dr Samaya Nissanke from the Radbound in the Netherlands together with Prof. Thomas Sotiriou from Nottingham, UK followed by a panel discussion with Prof. Vitor Cardoso (Centra, Portugal), Prof. Valeria Ferrari (Rome, Italy) and Prof. Leor Barack (Southampton, UK) where attendees will engage and ask questions about gravitational waves!
Gravitational waves permeate through the fabric of space at the speed of light. They are caused by cataclysmic events such as the merging of stars or the explosion of stars at the end of their lifetime. Observatories of Earth have only just scratched the surface of gravitational wave astronomy with a handful of observations, some of which were also accompanied with observations using traditional astronomy.
In January Malta will host one of a large international conference on gravitational waves, black holes and fundamental physics in general. This will bring together theories, people working on computer simulations, as well as a number of members of the large gravitational wave observatories. The conference will centre on the status of current observatories and how future planned observatories will change the landscape of the field, as well as how these kinds of observations can help sieve through the plethora of theories currently being proposed to explain how these exotic events take place. The theories range from different theories of how gravity functions, to the various ways that the gravitational waves are simulated.
Quench your thirst about black holes and gravitational waves on Wednesday 24 January at 19:00 at the Cinema Room at Spazju Kreattiv in, Valletta. Doors open at 18:45.
Entrance is free but registration is mandatory since space is limited. To secure a place register online. Malta Café Scientifique can be found on Facebook and online. You can now view events and subscribe to our mailing list from the website.
Malta Café Scientifique thanks the STEAM project, funded as a Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Strategic Partnership, Spazju Kreattiv for hosting this event, the University of Malta, Malta Chamber of Scientists (of which Malta Café Scientifique forms part).
