1 NSF Vision in Gravitational Physics • Program Overview • LIGO • Testing GR and searching for new physics: the Gravitational Experiments Program • Comments and questions for the future Beverly K. Berger Program Director, Gravitational Physics Fundamental Physics Research in Space 21–24 May 2006
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NSF Vision in Gravitational Physics · NSF Vision in Gravitational Physics • Program Overview • LIGO • Testing GR and searching for new physics: the Gravitational Experiments
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NSF Vision in Gravitational Physics
• Program Overview• LIGO• Testing GR and searching for new physics: the Gravitational Experiments Program• Comments and questions for the future
Beverly K. BergerProgram Director, Gravitational Physics
Fundamental Physics Research in Space 21–24 May 2006
• Directly verify that gravitational waves exist.• Test that these waves propagate at the same speed as light, and that the graviton has zero rest mass.• Test the prediction of gravitational wave tensor polarization.• Confirm that black holes do exist (smoking gun), and test predictions for gravitational waves from colliding black holes. This will be the most stringent test ever of Einstein's general relativity theory.
LIGO can test GR predictions in strong field, dynamical regime:
Advanced LIGO
• Advanced LIGO is in the FY 2007 President’s Budget Request for an FY 2008 funding start.