Windows on the Universe: Chad Hanna public lecture webcast

In his Perimeter Public Lecture on April 3, 2019, Chad Hanna will explore how new observational techniques are unveiling facets of the universe previously hidden from view.

For thousands of years, astronomy was restricted to what we could see with our eyes. But visible light makes up only a tiny fraction of a spectrum emitted by celestial objects.

We now know that light is not the universe’s sole means to reveal the mysteries of the heavens. Until recently, we simply lacked the windows through which to view these aspects of our universe.

Over the last few decades, astronomers have revolutionized our windows on the universe with telescopes of unprecedented sensitivity to light beyond what we can see with our eyes.

Observatories now allow us to see ghostly particles called neutrinos, and ripples in the fabric of space itself – called gravitational waves.

In his Perimeter Public Lecture on April 3, 2019, Chad Hanna will describe how these new windows have changed our view of the cosmos and explore what new wonders may be unveiled in the decades to come.

Hanna is an associate professor at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on studying the universe with gravitational waves using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

Hanna and his research group work to enable multi-messenger astronomy through gravitational wave observations of merging neutron stars and black holes. Prior to joining Penn State, he was a senior postdoctoral researcher at Perimeter Institute.

Tickets to attend the talk in person will be available here at 9 am ET on Monday, March 18.

About PI

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement. 

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