Jérôme Degallaix, resaercher at Laboratory of Advanced Materials (Lyon), will give a seminar entitled “Extraordinary mirrors listening to the vibrations of spacetime” on Tuesday, February 4, at 10:00 a.m. in room Pierre Cotton of our Lab.
Abstract : The first direct detection of gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes in 2015 opened a new window to study the most violent events in the universe. Completely complementary to the electromagnetic spectrum, these spacetime vibrations provide us with unprecedented information on the evolution of the most compact objects that nature has produced.
To date, more than 90 events have already been recorded, and we are in the midst of a new data-taking period with increasingly sensitive instruments. These detections are the result of 50 years of experimental research leading to the development of giant detectors, optical interferometers several kilometers long. At the heart of these instruments are the most precise mirrors in the world, whose processing and characterization were done in Lyon. This presentation will cover the latest discoveries in gravitational waves and introduce the unique infrastructure developed in Lyon to meet the needs of large optics in astronomy. We will also explore the challenges facing the next generation of mirrors. The presentation is intended for a general audience.
To date, more than 90 events have already been recorded, and we are in the midst of a new data-taking period with increasingly sensitive instruments. These detections are the result of 50 years of experimental research leading to the development of giant detectors, optical interferometers several kilometers long. At the heart of these instruments are the most precise mirrors in the world, whose processing and characterization were done in Lyon. This presentation will cover the latest discoveries in gravitational waves and introduce the unique infrastructure developed in Lyon to meet the needs of large optics in astronomy. We will also explore the challenges facing the next generation of mirrors. The presentation is intended for a general audience.
Biography : Jérôme Degallaix is a researcher at LMA (Laboratory of Advanced Materials) in Lyon working in mirrors technology. Jérome has done all his scientific career in gravitational waves detection working on optical techniques for more more than 20 years from simulations to experimental work. His current interest tends toward large sapphire mirrors and custom optics and he will mention few words about it in his presentation.
Contact : Frédéric Galland – Information & Photonique Theme
