Title: A short introduction to gravitational wave and gravitational wave astrophysics 　　  

Speaker: Prof. Youjun Lu (NAOC)　　  

Time: 3 PM, Dec. 01 (Thursday)  　　  

Location: Lecture Hall, 3rd floor  　　  

Abstract: Gravitational wave, ripples in the fabric of spacetime, is a major prediction of Einstein's General Relativity (GR) and is one of the most profound nature of gravity. LIGO team recently announced the first direct detection of gravitational wave, emitted from a binary black hole merger, which not only confirms the prediction of GR but also opens an unprecedented new window ontothe cosmos--a window of gravitational wave astronomy. In this Lecture, I will give a short introduction to gravitational wave and those methods to detect gravitational waves. I will also briefly overview the field of gravitational wave astrophysics and talk about the prospects of this field.