Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
November of Science 2018
The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics will participate in the November of Science 2018 with four public lectures and two visits to the GEO600 gravitational-wave detector.
October 02, 2018
In autumn 2018, the sixth “November of Science” will open the doors of Hannover research institutions to everyone interested. The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) and the Institute for Gravitational Physics at Leibniz Universität Hannover will participate and offer four public lectures and two excursions to the GEO600 gravitational-wave detector. You will learn what Einstein's gravitational waves are, what they tell us about black holes, how they can be better perceived with extraordinary laser light and what we need black holes for.
Where do the lectures take place? Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) Institute for Gravitational Physics at Leibniz University Hannover Callinstraße 38, 30167 Hanover, Germany Room 103/106 (signposted on site, barrier-free access)
When do the lectures take place? The public lectures on the 2nd, 12th, 14th, and 19th of November start at 19:00 CET and will last about one hour. Our lecturers are looking forward to your visit and your questions and will be available for discussions about the topic of the lecture afterwards. Admission is free, advance registration is not required.
How can I participate in one of the GEO600 excursions? On 6th and 20th of November there will be bus excursions to the GEO600 gravitational-wave detector near Sarstedt; access is not barrier-free. The excursions start on both days at 17:00 CET with the departure of the bus at the main building of Leibniz Universität Hannover. For these excursions, advance registration and confirmation of participation by e-mail (see below) are mandatory. Due to laser safety regulations, the minimum age for participation is 16 years.
2nd November 2018, 19:00-20:30 CET Lecture (in German) “Gravitational Waves”
What are gravitational waves, where do they come from and how does one measure them? Albert Einstein predicted gravitational waves in 1916. Their first direct detection was awarded last year's Nobel Prize in Physics. What gravitational waves are, where they come from and how to measure them is explained in this lecture. (Speaker: Dr. Gudrun Wanner)
FULLY BOOKED! 6th November 2018, 17:00-19:30 CET GEO600 excursion (in German)
Travel with us by bus to the gravitational-wave detector GEO600 in Ruthe near Sarstedt. Together with other similar instruments, a new era of astronomy was heralded there, in which we not only see the universe, but also hear it. Departure from the main building of Leibniz Universität Hannover, Am Welfengarten 1. Registration by e-mail to benjamin.knispel@aei.mpg.de required. Minimum age: 16 years.
12th November 2018, 19:00-20:30 CET Lecture (in German) “Black Holes made audible”
Listen to what black holes tell us about themselves! Most black holes in our universe are invisible. Two black holes emit gravitational waves when they orbit each other, which can be made audible. Hear for yourself what the black holes tell us about themselves. (Speaker: Dr. Frank Ohme)
14th November 2018, 19:00-20:30 CET Lecture (in German) “New Light for Gravitational Wave Astronomy”
With extraordinary laser light the universe can be better eavesdropped. In the age of astronomy with gravitational waves, the laser light must also be “tuned” in order to measure better and better. This lecture explains the basics of generating “non-classical” light and the possibilities it offers. (Speaker: Prof. Dr. Michèle Heurs)
19th November 2018, 19:00-20:30 CET Lecture (in German) “What do we need black holes for?”
What do we learn from the LIGO observations and how are they of use to us? The LIGO gravitational-wave detectors have observed several mergers of black holes with their unprecedented measurement precision. But what can we actually use it for? What can we learn from it and will it benefit us on Earth? (Speaker: Dr. Alex Nielsen)
FULLY BOOKED! 20th November 2018, 17:00-19:30 CET GEO600 excursion (in German)
Travel with us by bus to the gravitational-wave detector GEO600 in Ruthe near Sarstedt. Together with other similar instruments, a new era of astronomy was heralded there, in which we not only see the universe, but also hear it. Departure from the main building of Leibniz Universität Hannover, Am Welfengarten 1. Registration by e-mail to benjamin.knispel@aei.mpg.de required. Minimum age: 16 years.