GW170817: The first cosmic event observed in both gravitational waves and light.
For the first time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves in addition to light from the spectacular collision of two neutron stars. The discovery was made by the LIGO and Virgo detectors, together with some 70 ground- and space-based observatories.
Getting ready to listen to the Universe
Dr. Alan Cumming of the University of Glasgow, UK, preparing the delicate ultra-pure glass fibres that hold the mirrors of the LIGO Observatories. These instruments made the first detections of gravitational waves in 2015 - starting an entirely new field in astrophysics.
Glasgow designed MEMS gravimeter featured in Nature.
Staff from the IGR have made the first microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gravimeter. It has been used to measure the Earth tides, the elastic deformation of the Earth's crust due to the Sun and Moon's gravitational pull. This result is the topic of a Nature paper published on March 2016.
Knowledge Exchange and Public Outreach
As with other cutting edge scientific endeavours, the work that we do can lead to technology that is useful in industry and beyond.
We have a rich and vibrant outreach programme across schools, science festivals and the public in Scotland and beyond.
The Institute
The Institute for Gravitational Research, supported by STFC funding, is focused on gravitational astrophysics, enabled by gravitational wave detector technology, and analysis of gravitational wave signals.
