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Full-Text Articles in Cosmology, Relativity, and Gravity

Bayesian Methods For Multi-Messenger Analysis Of Supermassive Black Hole Binaries: Pulsars And Quasars And Gravitational Waves, Oh My!, Caitlin A. Witt Jan 2022

Bayesian Methods For Multi-Messenger Analysis Of Supermassive Black Hole Binaries: Pulsars And Quasars And Gravitational Waves, Oh My!, Caitlin A. Witt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) can lurk, often unseen, in the centers of post-merger galaxies, and pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are rapidly approaching the sensitivities required to detect nanohertz gravitational waves (GWs) from these giant pairs. Independently, numerous electromagnetic surveys are seeking evidence of these dynamic duos’ effects on their host galaxies by searching for periodicities in time-domain observations. Combining these two methods to use multi-messenger techniques allows us to learn more about these binaries than using one messenger alone. In this thesis, we have created Bayesian methods to search for SMBHBs using electromagnetic observations of quasars and through GW …


Topics In Gravitational Wave Physics, Aaron David Johnson Jul 2020

Topics In Gravitational Wave Physics, Aaron David Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We begin with a brief introduction to gravitational waves. Next we look into the origin of the Chandrasekhar transformations between the different equations found by perturbing a Schwarzschild black hole. Some of the relationships turn out to be Darboux transformations. Then we turn to GW150914, the first detected black hole binary system, to see if the nonlinear memory might be detectable by current and future detectors. Finally, we develop an updated code for computing equatorial extreme mass ratio inspirals which will be open sourced as soon as it has been generalized for arbitrary inclinations.


Gravity Then And Now, Paul Ingraham Apr 2018

Gravity Then And Now, Paul Ingraham

Student Writing

This paper discusses the theory of gravity from the time it was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton to present time with the discovery of gravitational waves by Albert Einstein, and the detection of gravitational waves. Stephen Hawking's and Leonard Mlodinow's recent book, The Grand Design, provides support for Edward Witten's M-theory. Gravity was the first of the four fundamental forces to be discovered, and that last to be detected. Einstein proposed that gravity was not only a force, but also could be characterized as a wave on the space-time continuum.


Gravitational Waves: A New Window Into The Cosmos, Jeffrey S. Hazboun May 2015

Gravitational Waves: A New Window Into The Cosmos, Jeffrey S. Hazboun

Jeffrey Hazboun

No abstract provided.


Gravitational Wave Astrophysics With Compact Binary Systems, Eric Addison Apr 2014

Gravitational Wave Astrophysics With Compact Binary Systems, Eric Addison

Eric Addison

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime that convey information about
changing gravitational fields. Large-scale detection projects are currently in operation, and
more advanced detectors are being designed and built. Though we have yet to make a
direct detection of a gravitational wave signal, upgrades to current detectors are expected
to bring the first detections within the next year or two.

Gravitational waves will bring us information about astrophysical phenomena that is
complementary to the information gained from photon-based observations (e.g., telescopes
and radio receivers). One of the primary sources of gravitational waves are binary systems:
two massive …