eLISA-NGO Gravitational wave astronomy in space

The group has been leading the study of the dynamics of black holes in merging galaxies, the sites where the loudest sources of gravitational waves form in the universe. Using state-of-the-art numerical simulations, these studies have been elucidating the role played by gas in controlling the pairing of the two black holes on large scales, the formation of a binary on smaller scales and its final coalescence.

Thanks to recent advances in numerical relativity, it is now possible to relate the mass and spin vector of the final black hole to the mass and spin of the binary components: this has lead to the prediction of remarkable physical phenomena such as large remnant recoils for peculiar spin configurations.  The team in Milano Bicocca has been exploring feasible scenarios for the evolution of the mass and spin of black holes in merging galaxies providing a framework for the interpretation of the eLISA/NGO events as astrophysical sources.

The group in Milano Bicocca will be working on the science of eLISA/NGO with special focus on issues related to the formation, evolution and growth of black hole seeds along cosmic history. The group is working on observations of dual and binary black holes from ground and space-based facilities, from the optical to hard X-rays. This will pave the way to the search of eLISA/NGO events. The group is closely collaborating with scientists of the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the University of Zurich, and of the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam.

University of Milano Bicocca, Department of Physics G. Occhialini

Contact person:
Prof. Monica Colpi

Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126 Milano
+39 02 6448 2357