THURSDAY: Scientists to provide update on the search for gravitational waves 100 years after Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves, the National Science Foundation gathers scientists from Caltech, MIT, and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration to update the scientific community on efforts to detect them.

     (HUNTSVILLE, Ala.) – Journalists are invited to join a live webcast viewing event at Cramer Research Hall at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) as the National Science Foundation brings together scientists from Caltech, MIT and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration this Thursday, Feb. 11, at 9:30 a.m. (CST) at the National Press Club for a status report on the effort to detect gravitational waves – or ripples in the fabric of space-time – using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO).

     Available for questions immediately following the conclusion of the national viewing event at UAH:

-Dr. Tyson Littenberg, the UAH Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) scientist who works directly with the LIGO project.

-Dr. Gary Zank, CSPAR director, Department of Space Science chair and astrophysicist. 

 

     The event will be held in Cramer Research Hall room 2096.

Cramer Research Hall is Building #26 on this map:

(Map can also be found at https://www.uah.edu/images/map/uah-campus-map-101415.jpg)

Campus Map

     Journalists will be required to sign in and out at the lobby. Broadcast journalists are asked to arrive a few minutes ahead of the national update webcast in order to set up equipment. Additional scientists from CSPAR and space science faculty will also be present.

If you have any questions or special needs, please contact Jim Steele at

jim.steele@uah.edu or 256-824-2772.

     This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first publication of Albert Einstein’s prediction of the existence of gravitational waves. The group will discuss their ongoing efforts to observe and measure gravitational waves for scientific research.

     LIGO, a system of two identical detectors carefully constructed to detect incredibly tiny vibrations from passing gravitational waves, was conceived and built by MIT and Caltech researchers and funded by the National Science Foundation, with significant contributions from other US and international partners. The twin detectors are located 1,865 miles apart in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington.

     For additional background about the project, you may be interested in these websites:

LIGO Lab (Observatories: Livingston | Hanford)

LIGO Scientific Collaboration: http://www.ligo.org/

UAH Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR):

https://www.uah.edu/cspar

 

WHEN:

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016

9:30 AM US CST

 

WHERE:

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH)

Cramer Research Hall

Room 2096

Huntsville, AL

 

CONTACT: 

Jim Steele

jim.steele@uah.edu

256-824-2772