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Latham Boyle

Latham Boyle's picture
Faculty

Areas of Research:
Cosmology,
Strong Gravity
Phone: x7541

Research Interests

I work on a variety of topics related to gravitational waves, black holes and early universe cosmology.

For centuries, astronomers have been exploring the universe with telescopes that detect electromagnetic waves (disturbances in the electromagnetic field that move at the speed of light). Much more recently, physicists have been developing new types of telescopes to detect *gravitational* waves (disturbances in the gravitational field that also move at the speed of light). Gravitational wave astronomy is lagging behind electromagnetic astronomy by several centuries because gravitational waves are so hard to detect! On the bright side, this means that the age of great discovery in gravitational wave astronomy is still ahead of us: in fact, there are reasons to expect that it will begin with the first direct detection of gravitational waves later in this decade. Gravitational waves will open a new window on the cosmos -- a window that looks out on strange and unfamiliar scenery (violent processes in the very early universe, black holes swallowing neutron stars, and other phenomena that we probably won't even imagine until they surprise us by turning up in our detectors). Much of my work has to do with understanding how gravitational waves may be used to learn about the universe (especially the very early universe), and thinking about the best designs for future gravitational wave telescopes.

Positions Held

  • 2010/01-present, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Junior Faculty
  • 2006/09-2009/12, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Postdoctoral Fellow

Awards

  • The article "Proving Inflation: A Bootstrap Approach" by Latham Boyle and Paul Steinhardt (Phys.Rev.Lett.105:241301, 2010 [http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:0810.2787]) was highlighted by a "Viewpoint" article in the APS journal Physics. (Among more than 18,000 articles published in the various Physical Review journals each year, 150 are selected in this way to highlight their significance.)
  • CIFAR Junior Fellowship, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

Recent Publications

  • "Pulsar timing arrays as imaging gravitational wave telescopes: angular resolution and source (de)confusion," Latham Boyle and Ue-Li Pen, Physical Review D 86, 124028 (2012) [http://arxiv: abs/1010.4337
  • "Pulsar timing arrays as imaging gravitational wave telescopes: angular resolution and source (de)confusion," Latham Boyle and Ue-Li Pen, Physical Review D 86, 124028 (2012) [http://arxiv: abs/1010.4337
  • "Testing Inflation: A Bootstrap Approach," Physical Review Letters 105, 241301 (2010) [http://arxiv.org/abs/arxiv: 0810.2787
  • "Relating gravitational wave constraints from primordial nucleosynthesis, pulsar timing, laser interferometers, and the CMB: implications for the early universe," Physical Review D 78, 043531 (2008) [http://arxiv.org/abs/arxiv: 0708.2279
  • "The spin expansion for binary black hole merger: new predictions and future directions," Physical Review D 78, 024017 (2008) [http://arxiv.org/abs/arxiv: 0712.2819
  • "Binary black hole merger: symmetry and the spin expansion," Physical Review Letters 100, 151101 (2008) [http://arxiv.org/abs/arxiv: 0709.0299
  • "Probing the early universe with inflationary gravitational waves," Physical Review D 77, 063504 (2008) [http://arxiv: abs/astro-ph/0512014
  • "Inflationary predictions for scalar and tensor fluctuations reconsidered," Latham Boyle, Paul Steinhardt and Neil Turok, Physical Review Letters 96, 111301 (2006) [http://arxiv: abs/astro-ph/0507455
  • "The Minimal Dimensionless Standard Model (MDSM) and its Cosmology," Latham Boyle, Shane Farnsworth, Joseph Fitzgerald and Maitagorri Schade, arXiv:1111.0273 [http://arxiv: abs/1111.0273
  • "Light Loop Echoes and Blinking Black Holes," Latham Boyle and Matthew Russo, arXiv:1110.2789 [http://arxiv: abs/1110.2789
  • "Pulsar timing arrays as imaging gravitational wave telescopes: angular resolution and source (de)confusion," Latham Boyle and Ue-Li Pen, arXiv:1010.4337 [http://arxiv: abs/1010.4337
  • "The general theory of porcupines, perfect and imperfect," Latham Boyle, arXiv:1008.4997 [http://arxiv: abs/1008.4997
  • "Perfect porcupines: ideal networks for low frequency gravitational wave astronomy," Latham Boyle, arXiv:1003.4946 [http://arxiv: abs/1003.4946

Seminars

  • "Platonic Orbits, Symmetric Satellite Constellations, Dynamical Lattices and Low Frequency Gravitational Wave Telescopes," Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
  • "Platonic Orbits, Symmetric Satellite Constellations, Dynamical Lattices and Low Frequency Gravitational Wave Telescopes," University of Ottawa
  • "Platonic Orbits and Fully Democratic Satellite Constellations," CIFAR Annual Cosmology and Gravity Meeting (Whistler, British Columbia)
  • "The Wave Function of the Universe," Vision Speaker at Quantum and Nano Computing Advanced School, Agra, India
  • "Gravitational Waves in Cosmology," Lectures at IUCAA School on Cosmology and Gravitational Waves, Pune, India
  • "Gravitational Wave Telescopes and the Early Universe," Physics Colloquium, University of Western Ontario
  • "Gravitational Wave Telescopes and the Early Universe," Physics Colloquium, University of Guelph
  • "Pulsar Timing Arrays as Imaging Gravitational Wave Telescopes," International Pulsar Timing Array Meeting, West Virginia (had to withdraw, unfortunately)
  • "Low Frequency Gravitational Wave Telescopes," Cosmological Frontiers In Fundamental Physics Workshop, Paris
  • "Low Frequency Gravitational Wave Telescopes," Black Holes VIII Conference, Niagara Falls
  • "Pulsar Timing Arrays as Gravitational Wave Telescopes," CIFAR Annual Cosmology and Gravity Meeting (Whistler, British Columbia)
  • "Gravitational wave telescopes," Hawken School, Cleveland
  • "Low frequency gravitational wave telescopes," Physics & Astronomy Department Colloquium, McMaster University
  • "Low frequency gravitational wave telescopes," Joint Astrophysics Colloquium, McGill University
  • "Observations about the wave function of the universe," PIAF Worskhop, Brisbane, Australia
  • "Gravitational Wave Astronomy and Merging Black Holes," 2010 EinsteinPlus Keynote Address
  • PIRSA:12020029, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 15, 2012-02-10, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12020028, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 14, 2012-02-09, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12020027, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 13, 2012-02-08, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12020026, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 12, 2012-02-07, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12020025, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 11, 2012-02-06, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12020022, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 10, 2012-02-03, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12020021, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 9, 2012-02-02, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12020020, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 8, 2012-02-01, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12010083, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 7, 2012-01-31, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12010082, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 6, 2012-01-30, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12010079, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 5, 2012-01-27, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12010078, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 4, 2012-01-26, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12010077, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 3, 2012-01-25, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12010076, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 2, 2012-01-24, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:12010075, Cosmology (Review) - Lecture 1, 2012-01-23, 11/12 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11090122, Research Presentation - Cosmology and Strong Gravity, 2011-09-16, Cosmology & Gravitation
  • PIRSA:11020098, Cosmology Review - Lecture 15, 2011-02-11, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020097, Cosmology Review - Lecture 14, 2011-02-11, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020096, Cosmology Review - Lecture 13, 2011-02-09, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020095, Cosmology Review - Lecture 12, 2011-02-08, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020094, Cosmology Review - Lecture 11, 2011-02-07, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020091, Cosmology Review - Lecture 10, 2011-02-04, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020090, Cosmology Review - Lecture 9, 2011-02-03, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020089, Cosmology Review - Lecture 8, 2011-02-02, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11020088, Cosmology Review - Lecture 7, 2011-02-01, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11010105, Cosmology Review - Lecture 6, 2011-01-31, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11010102, Cosmology Review - Lecture 5, 2011-01-28, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11010101, Cosmology Review - Lecture 4, 2011-01-27, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11010100, Cosmology Review - Lecture 3, 2011-01-26, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11010099, Cosmology Review - Lecture 2, 2011-01-24, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:11010098, Cosmology Review - Lecture 1, 2011-01-24, 10/11 PSI - Cosmology (Review)
  • PIRSA:10070031, Gravitational Waves, 2010-07-26, EinsteinPlus 2010
  • PIRSA:09030034, Three thoughts about black holes and cosmology, 2009-03-16, Cosmology & Gravitation
  • PIRSA:08030032, Binary black hole merger: symmetry and the spin expansion, 2008-03-04, Cosmology & Gravitation