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General info

Virgo-Polgraw is a Polish team of researchers analyzing the data collected by the LIGO and Virgo detectors in search for gravitational waves predicted by the general theory of relativity by Albert Einstein.

Gravitational waves astrophysics is a new and promising field of research of the Universe. In contrast to the observations of the electromagnetic waves (radio waves, visible light, X-rays and gamma), which are the main source of our current knowledge, we ‘‘listen’’ to the Universe by registering minor disturbances of the space-time curvature using the LIGO and Virgo laser interferometric detectors. Gravitational waves are emitted during the largest cosmic cataclysms: mergers of binary systems of neutron stars or black holes, explosions of supernovae, and by other sources, eg. unstable or deformed rotating neutron stars. The direct detection of gravitational waves allows the study of objects that are dark (do not shine in electromagnetic waves), testing the theory of gravity in the dynamic regime of strong gravitational field, and the direct study of the interior of neutron stars which contain the densest and most extreme matter existing currently in the Universe. These informations cannot be currently obtained using other methods.

In addition to the data analysis and the development of the statistical signal detection theory, we are modeling astrophysical sources of gravitational waves, make predictions about the population of these sources, search for the electromagnetic waves emission accompanying the gravitational waves and contribute to the construction and running of the Virgo interferometer.

The leader of the Virgo-Polgraw group is prof. Andrzej Królak from the Mathematical Institute PAS. The project is currently financed by an NCN Harmonia grant ‘‘Gravitational-wave astronomy: participation of the Polgraw group in Advanced Virgo and Advanced LIGO projects’’ no. 2017/26/M/ST9/00978; previous grant was titled ‘‘Participation of Poland in the Advanced Virgo project’’ no. UMO-2014/14/M/ST9/00707). Polish participation in the Virgo project is on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructure.

Members

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Paweł Ciecieląg, Magdalena Sieniawska, Orest Dorosh, Izabela Kowalska-Leszczyńska, Dorota Rosińska, Adam Zadrożny, Michał Bejger, Andrzej Królak, Piotr Jaranowski, Tomasz Bulik (photo: Marek Cieślar).

  1. Institute of Mathematics, PAS
  2. Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, PAS
  3. Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory
    • Tomasz Bulik (tb@astrouw.edu.pl)
    • Malgorzata Curyło
    • Przemysław Figura
    • Bartosz Idźkowski
    • Dorota Rosińska
    • Magdalena Sieniawska
    • Neha Singh
    • Paweł Szewczyk
    • Maria Tringali
  4. Institute of Astronomy, University of Zielona Góra
  5. Department of Physics, University of Bialystok
  6. National Centre for Nuclear Research
  7. Centre for Astronomy, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
  8. Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Wrocław
    • Arkadiusz Błaut
  9. Astronomical Observatory of the Jagiellonian University
    • Jerzy Kubisz
    • Michał Ostrowski
  10. AGH University of Science and Technology
    • Andrzej Kułak
    • Janusz Mlynarczyk
  11. ACK Cyfronet AGH
    • Patryk Lasoń
    • Mariusz Sterzel
  12. Center for Theoretical Physics, PAS

Research topics

Periodic gravitational waves
TBW
Modelling of astrophysical sources of gravitational waves
TBW
Construction of Advanced Virgo
TBW

Grants/Sponsors

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Financing sponsors and sources of computing grants

Virgo member instititions