ITC Pizza Lunch - David Shoemaker (MIT)

 

"LISA: A spaceborne gravitational wave observatory"
 Abstract:The concept of putting a gravitational-wave detector in space, using lasers to measure fluctuations in the space-time between satellites, was first discussed just 2 years after the ground-based program got its first start. LISA is planned to launch in the early 2030’s, and while the path has been both long and indirect, there is significant momentum now for a mission that will deliver great astrophysics. The technology and tests of it, the science we expect to generate, and the organization and planning for the mission will be described.