Gravity Exploration Institute

A research group in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University, focused on detecting gravitational waves and understanding their sources.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

Prof Stephen Fairhurst of the GEI in Cardiff is the new spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration! He is the first person from a non-US institution to hold this position. We are very pleased and proud that his many years of work within the LSC have been recognised.

[LIGO @LIGO]

We are pleased to introduce our new spokesperson, Prof. Stephen Fairhurst of @GravityCardiff!

"I look forward to working with the excellent scientists and engineers in the collaboration"

https://t.co/G8p6eDMvHa

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

We are now on Bluesky. Follow us there for more updates on our activities!

https://t.co/vrzMr7yHmU

[LIGO Hanford @LIGOWA]

Did You Catch The #DoubleRainbow?
🌈
#Rainbow sighting this morning @LIGOWA w/ a little #rain!
🌈
Also "end" of the rainbow "landing" at the @LIGO Y-Mid Building (or MY, which is 2km down the 4km [2.5mile] Y-Arm).
🌈
#optics #refraction #LIGOWA #GravitationalWaves #Light #morning

[Cardiff University @cardiffuni]

Scientists have developed a new way of searching for elusive #DarkMatter, which makes up 85% of all matter in the Universe, using detectors that are meant to observe gravitational waves.

➡️ https://t.co/3iZTKu2SOa
📷 Matt Heintze | @Caltech | @MIT | @LIGO

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

We can expect these results to be improved greatly in future LIGO runs and with future gravitational wave detectors. The results could also be improved drastically by modifying the thicknesses of the detector's beamsplitter and test masses, for which this study paves the way.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

A paper by several current and former members of the GEI, now published in Physical Review Letters, sets new limits on a wave-like form of dark matter called scalar field dark matter.
https://t.co/Nk7XsuMEji

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

Not finding viable candidates, they set new upper limits that surpass existing bounds for the coupling of scalar field dark matter to the standard model by up to 4 orders of magnitude in a frequency band from 10 to 180 Hz, and are competitive up to 5000 Hz.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

We'll be sharing updates throughout the day over on our Instagram stories. Follow us there! (Account: gravitycardiff )

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

Today we are celebrating 50 years of gravity at Cardiff. Many GEI alumni are here. We have a full day of talks.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

Today we are celebrating 50 years of gravity at Cardiff. Many GEI alumni are here. We have a full day of talks.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

More information about the event here: https://t.co/exLdQnOqi2

Follow us on our Instagram account (you can find us as GravityCardiff there) for highlights on the day.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

This year, the Gravity Exploration Institute is celebrating 50 years of gravity research in Cardiff 🥳

On Friday, July 19th, we'll be celebrating our anniversary with a one day conference at @cardiffPHYSX

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

GEI postdoc, Dr. Debatri Chattopadhyay, at the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

[Dr. Debatri Chattopadhyay @c_debatri]

Amazing week at the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings @lindaunobel, thanks for the opportunity to co-host the opening ceremony, for the most wonderful experience and the amazing global network. Thanks, @cardiffuni and @royalsociety for the selection!

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

Alexandra and Stephanie were able to visit us through the NSF Gravitational Physics International REU (research experiences for undergraduates) hosted by the University of Florida. Jasmine came through our Gravity Exploration Institute's summer internship.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

We currently have three student visitors from US Universities, who will be spending the summer with us at @gravitycardiff in @cardiffPHYSX . They gave brief presentations at our latest group meeting, about themselves and their summer projects.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

Photo 1: Alexandra Wells, from Ohio University.
Photo 2: Stephanie Montoya, from Montclair State University.
Photo 3: Jasmine Palma, from Harvard University.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

@astrobel_rs @JadePowell12 The conference ended with a panel on "The future of Gravitational Wave detectors", led by Prof. Stephen Fairhurst and including Dr. Keiko Kokeyama.

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

Members of the Gravity Exploration Institute participated in the Gravitational Wave Physics and Astronomy Workshop (GWPAW) in Birmingham last week. Here's a thread of some highlights...

[Gravity Exploration Institute @GravityCardiff]

We also heard from several former members and regular visitors of our group, including Dr. Vaibhav Tiwari, Dr. Isobel Romero-Shaw, Dr. Penny Kolitsidou, and Dr. Jade Powell.