Watson Lecture - Katerina Chatziioannou - Matter vs. Gravity: Listening to Colliding Black Holes and Neutron Stars with Gravitational Waves

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Our universe is shaped by the struggle of forces between matter and the attraction of gravity that brings matter together. In the case of neutron stars, matter puts up the ultimate defense, as gravity crushes matter down to densities that exceed those of atomic nuclei. Such neutron stars pack more mass than our Sun down to a size no bigger than Los Angeles. At even further extremes, gravity will lead to the total demise of matter, collapsing everything into a black hole. Yet, at the same time, gravity also provides the means to study such extreme objects as neutron stars and black holes: gravitational waves, "ripples" in space-time that are emitted when neutron stars and black holes collide while traveling at a fraction of the speed of light. Katerina Chatziioannou, assistant professor of physics and William H. Hurt Scholar, will describe how researchers track collisions of neutron stars and black holes with gravitational waves, and what we are learning about the universe's most extreme objects.

Evening Schedule

6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food, drinks, and books available for purchase

7 p.m. — Doors open

7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&A

8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and conversation

The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available on our Youtube channel.

About the Series

For more than 100 years, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the public.

Free and open to the public, the Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge science directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with your neighbors over food, drink and music, as well as interactive displays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.

Many past Watson Lectures are available on YouTube.

For more information, please contact The Caltech Ticket Office by email at events@caltech.edu.