Applied Physics and Materials Science

Gravitational Waves and High-Energy Astrophysics

Gravitational waves ripples in spacetime caused by cataclysmic events like black hole mergers were first detected in 2015 by LIGO. These waves provide a new way to observe the universe, offering insights into phenomena that are invisible through traditional telescopes.

High-energy astrophysics studies energetic cosmic processes, such as gamma-ray bursts, neutron stars, and supernovae. It requires specialized detectors aboard satellites like Fermi and Chandra. Together, gravitational wave astronomy and high-energy observations reveal the most violent and mysterious events in the cosmos.