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WS24/25 – Abstract
Tessa Baker
(Portsmouth)
16.1.2025
Cosmology with Gravitational Wave Sirens
The first decade of gravitational wave detection has led to the birth of an exciting new field: gravitational wave cosmology. This field seeks to use the rich and growing set of gravitational wave data to answer major outstanding questions about the evolution of the universe.
Gravitational wave (GW) sirens are a group of methods used to measure the expansion rate of the universe (i.e. the Hubble constant), and to test the nature of gravity on its largest scales. In this talk I’ll introduce the main categories of GW sirens — bright, dark, and spectral —explaining how they differ. I’ll explain how cosmologists have adapted to work around the lack of multi-messenger events since our one and only (to date!) bright siren, the binary neutron star merger GW170817.
We’ll take stock of where the current constraints from GW sirens stand. Then, we’ll set the stage for what may lie ahead in upcoming data releases from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detectors, and what will happen when we eventually detect another multi-messenger event. If time permits, we’ll also look at the major areas of development for GW cosmology over the next few years.
