Join us for an exciting and interesting evening at the Florida Museum of Natural History!
Agenda:
7:00 - 7:30 General Meeting & Announcements 7:30 - 7:45 Refreshments 7:45 - Public Presentation
Speaker: Samantha Parry
Topic: Lisa: Gravitational Wave Detector in Space
Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime that can be detected using laser interferometry methods. The ground-based detector LIGO has made significant contributions to the field of Astronomy, providing “sight” to the dark cosmos. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a gravitational wave detector in space, consists of three spacecraft flying in roughly equilateral triangle formation governed by their space inertial reference sensors: a test mass in free fall surrounded by electrode housing. This talk will be addressing the history of gravitational waves, how LISA will work, the space inertial sensor aboard LISA, and the work being done at the University of Florida to develop technology for the inertial sensor.
