Gravitational wave search provides insights into galaxy evolution and mergers
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - 11:01
in Astronomy & Space
New results from NANOGrav - the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves - establish astrophysically significant limits in the search for low-frequency gravitational waves. This result provides insight into how often galaxies merge, and how those merging galaxies evolve over time. To obtain this result, scientists required an exquisitely precise, nine-year pulsar-monitoring campaign conducted by two of the most sensitive radio telescopes on Earth, the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.