Gravitational wave fiesta

February 29 – March 1, 2016

• 1.3 billion years ago: 2 massive stellar black holes merge into a single one sending out waves of distorsion of space-time
• 14 September 2015: these gravitational waves reach first the Livingston LIGO detector in Louisiana, then the Hanford detector in Washington State
• 11 February 2016, Washington DC: “Ladies and gentlemen, we… have detected… gravitational waves”

On February 29, we were welcoming 80 privileged participants from the whole world (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, United Kingdom and of course France) for a 2-day Gravitational Wave Fiesta. Conferences, lab visits, question sessions, coffee breaks and a buffet to interact, and even a final collective exam allowed everyone to capture the importance of the discovery, and what it means for the future.

 
Teaser: