Journalists are invited to a news conference at Cal State Fullerton as the National Science Foundation brings together scientists from Caltech, MIT, CSUF and others in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration this Thursday for a status report on the effort to detect gravitational waves — or ripples in the fabric of space-time — using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO).
Following an early Thursday morning update from Washington, D.C., Cal State Fullerton will host a 10 a.m. Feb. 11 news conference in the Titan Student Union featuring scientists from the CSUF Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first publication of Albert Einstein’s prediction of the existence of gravitational waves. With interest in this topic piqued by the centennial, the group’s members will discuss their ongoing efforts to observe and measure cosmic gravitational waves for scientific research.
LIGO, a system of two identical detectors carefully constructed to detect incredibly tiny vibrations from passing gravitational waves, was conceived and built by MIT and Caltech researchers and funded by the National Science Foundation, with significant contributions from other U.S. and international partners. The twin detectors are located 1,865 miles apart in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington.
For additional background about the project, please visit these websites:
- LIGO Lab
- Advanced LIGO
- LIGO Scientific Collaboration
- CSUF Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center
When:
Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016
10 a.m.
Where:
Titan Student Union, Portola Pavilion
Cal State Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, 92831
Parking for Media:
The small parking lot adjacent to the Golleher Alumni House, off State College Boulevard. Campus map online.
Media Contacts:
Debra Cano Ramos, 657-278-4027
Chi-Chung Keung, 657-278-8487
Paula Selleck, 657-278-4856