Understanding LIGO/Virgo's Discoveries in Gravitational Wave Astronomy

Explore a comprehensive physics lecture where Ben Farr from the University of Oregon delves into the groundbreaking discoveries made by LIGO and Virgo detectors in gravitational wave astronomy. Learn about the evolution of compact binary merger detections, from the initial 11 discoveries (10 binary black hole mergers and one binary neutron star merger) by the end of O2 in August 2017, to the impressive catalog of 90 confidently detected binary mergers documented in GWTC-3 following O3 (April 2019 - March 2020). Discover significant breakthroughs including the detection of neutron star-black hole binaries and unexpectedly massive black holes. Gain insights into eight years of ground-based gravitational wave astronomy's contributions to our understanding of compact binaries and get a glimpse of future possibilities in this field.