DEPARTMENT COLLOQUIUM | Results and Challenges in Multimessenger Transient Searches for Gravitational Waves

Speaker: Professor Szabolcs Marka (Columbia University)

Multimessenger astronomy, including gravitational waves, shall continue to be a fruitful path towards deciphering otherwise hidden aspects of the high-energy transient universe. Gamma-ray, X-ray, optical, radio and neutrino observations of cataclysmic cosmic events are often associated with plausible gravitational wave emission. Beyond strengthening our ability to discover gravitational waves, multimessenger observations can enhance the value of our results. They can enable us to draw conclusions that we would not be able to do with gravitational waves alone. I will review results of past multimessenger searches, interpret their astrophysical consequences, and present an outlook on the future of gravitational wave astrophysics.