Gravitational-wave astronomy: observational results and their impact
Abstract
The successful construction and operation of highly sensitive gravitational-wave detectors is an achievement to be proud of, but the detection of actual signals is still around the corner. Even so, null results from recent searches have told us some interesting things about the objects that live in our universe, so it can be argued that the era of gravitational-wave astronomy has already begun. In this paper I review several of these results and discuss what we have learned from them. I then look into the not-so-distant future and predict some ways in which the detection of gravitational-wave signals will shape our knowledge of astrophysics and transform the field.
- Publication:
-
Classical and Quantum Gravity
- Pub Date:
- April 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0264-9381/27/8/084017
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1002.0895
- Bibcode:
- 2010CQGra..27h4017S
- Keywords:
-
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- Based on invited talk at the 8th Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves (Columbia U, New York, June 2009)