Thursday, May 21, 2015, 16:00
WHGA/Auditorium
Philippe Jetzer, University of Zurich
Abstract:
I will present the proposed satellite
eLISA (evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), which is
a space-based mission designed to measure gravitational waves over
a broad band of frequencies ranging from ~ 0.1 mHz to ~ 1 Hz.
Possible sources of gravitational waves are
a variety of systems and events throughout the Universe,
including the coalescences of massive black holes brought together by galaxy
mergers; the inspirals of stellar-mass black holes and compact stars into central galactic black holes; several millions of ultracompact binaries, both detached and
mass transferring, in the Galaxy; and possibly unforeseen sources such as the
relic gravitational-wave radiation from the early Universe. eLISA's high signal-to-noise
measurements will provide new insight into the structure and history of
the Universe, and it will test general relativity in its strong-field dynamical regime. This year LISA-Pathfinder, an ESA mission, will be put in orbit and test several of the needed technologies for eLISA.