Press conference (French only)
Monday, 16 October 2017 at 4 p.m. CEST
At the CNRS headquarters — 3 rue Michel-Ange — Paris 16e

Facebook Live (English)
Monday, October 16, at 7 p.m. CEST
https://www.facebook.com/CNRSNews/

Embargoed press release (French & English)
write to veronique.etienne@cnrs.fr

Researchers representing the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration, of which the CNRS is a member, as well as 70 observatories, will reveal the latest discoveries from gravitational wave research.

Ten researchers will be present at the CNRS headquarters to provide an overview of new findings from LIGO, Virgo and partner telescopes studying extreme events in the cosmos.

The detection of gravitational waves has been rewarded by two CNRS Gold Medals handed out to Alain Brillet and Thibault Damour, and by the Nobel Prize in Physics received by Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne.

Ten specialists will come together at the CNRS headquarters

Presentations by:
* Benoît Mours, CNRS senior researcher and Principal Investigator for Virgo in France.
* Frédéric Daigne, Professor at the UPMC, specialist in the field of high-energy astrophysics.

Will also attend:
* Marie-Anne Bizouard, CNRS researcher, member of the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration
* Luc Blanchet, CNRS senior researcher, specialist in general relativity and gravitational waves
* Nelson Christensen, CNRS senior researcher, member of the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration
* Pierre-François Cohadon, Assistant Professor at the ENS, member of the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration
* Mathieu de Naurois, CNRS senior researcher, director of the HESS Collaboration
* Olivier La Marle, coordinator of the CNES astronomy-astrophysics program
* Philippe Laurent, CEA researcher, joint coordinator of the INTEGRAL Collaboration (ESA satellite)
* Susanna Diana Vergani, CNRS researcher, member of the ePESSTO (ESO) and GRAWITA Collaborations.

CNRS Facebook Live

On Monday, October 16, at 7 p.m. CEST (Central European Summer Time), the CNRS will broadcast live from the Advanced Virgo gravitational wave detector in Italy. From the control room, researchers will answer questions and showcase the instrument (English only).

Direct access to the CNRSNews Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CNRSNews/

Registration and information

Please RSVP to Véronique Etienne (veronique.etienne@cnrs.fr or presse@cnrs.fr) by 12 p.m. CEST on Monday, 16 October.

NB! Due to counter-terrorism measures (Plan Vigipirate), you will be asked to show proof of identity. Press cards will not be accepted as an identity document.

An embargoed press release will be available from around midday, on Friday 13 October. If you wish to be sent it, please write to veronique.etienne@cnrs.fr, confirming that you and your outlet undertake to honor the embargo until 4 p.m. CEST on Monday 16 October.

Contact:
Véronique Etienne
CNRS Press Office
+33 (0)1 44 96 51 37
veronique.etienne@cnrs.fr