Scientists directly involved with the discovery will be in Baton Rouge to participate in an inaugural gravitational wave conference hosted by the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy.

WHAT: The Gravitational Wave Astrophysics conference sponsored by the International Astronomical Union will live stream the LIGO Laboratory, LIGO Scientific Collaboration, National Science Foundation and Virgo Collaboration press conference. Journalists are invited to watch the live stream of the press conference on Monday, Oct. 16, at 9 a.m. (CDT) from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The live streamed press conference will begin with an overview of new findings from LIGO, Virgo and partners that span the globe, followed by details from telescopes that work with the LIGO and Virgo Collaboration to study extreme events in the cosmos.

The first detection of gravitational waves, made on Sept. 14, 2015, and announced on Feb. 11, 2016, was a milestone in physics and astronomy. It confirmed a major prediction of Albert Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity and marked the beginning of the new field of gravitational-wave astronomy. Since then, there have been three more confirmed detections, one of which (and the most recently announced) was the first confirmed detection seen jointly by both the LIGO and Virgo detectors.

The published articles announcing LIGO’s first, second and third confirmed detections have been cited more than 1,700 times (total), according to the Web of Science citation counts. A fourth paper on the three-detector observation was published on Oct. 6.

WHEN:
Monday, Oct. 16
9 a.m. (CDT)

WHERE:
Crowne Plaza Hotel (Premier Room 1)
4728 Constitution Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

WHO:
LSU College of Science Dean Cynthia Peterson and LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Chair John DiTusa will provide opening remarks. LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy Professor and former LIGO Scientific Collaboration spokesperson Gabriela Gonzalez will be on hand to answer questions.

LIVE WEBCAST:
This event will be simulcast live online. The press conference presenters will try to answer some questions submitted remotely. For details about how to participate remotely, please contact Aya Collins at the NSF, +1 703-292-7736 or acollins@nsf.gov.

IAU SYMPOSIUM 338:
“Gravitational Wave Astrophysics: Early Results from GW Searches and Electromagnetic Counterparts” (Monday, October 16, through Thursday, October 19, 2017; Crowne Plaza, Baton Rouge, Louisiana); http://iau338.lsu.edu/