BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//linuxsoftware.nz//NONSGML Joyous v1.4//EN BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Merging binary black holes\, the first ten years DTSTART:20260218T160000Z DTEND:20260218T180000Z DTSTAMP:20260628T000340Z UID:8a6d2c17-9397-4175-882d-da0083aff723 SEQUENCE:2 CREATED:20260216T100017Z DESCRIPTION:The black-hole mergers observed by LIGO and Virgo are ultimate ly driven by the emission of energy and angular momentum via gravitational waves. Yet general relativity alone is not enough to explain the existenc e of merging compact-object binaries. For instance\, black-hole binaries o f ~10 M☉ orbiting at separations of ~10 R☉ would take longer than a Hu bble time to merge under gravitational radiation reaction alone. Additiona l astrophysical processes are therefore required to bring these binaries i nto the gravitational-wave regime. Understanding the origin and evolution of merging compact binaries remains one of the central challenges in gravi tational-wave astronomy and has motivated the development of a variety of formation scenarios. In this talk\, I will present a status update on the formation-channel problem\, with a specific focus on hierarchical black-ho le mergers. Along the way\, I will highlight the statistical challenge we face: inferring the properties of a population of sources from noisy measu rements subject to strong selection effects. Recent advances in hierarchic al Bayesian inference--and\, why not\, a touch of machine learning--are en abling us to extract increasingly detailed information from gravitational- wave data. These methods are laying the foundation for the time when our f ield will fully transition into a genuine big-data science. LAST-MODIFIED:20260216T100134Z LOCATION:Anfiteatro PA1 (Piso -1 do Pavilhão de Matemática) do IST URL:http://df.vps.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/pt/eventos/merging-binary-black-holes -the-first-ten-years/ X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

The black-hole merg ers observed by LIGO and Virgo are ultimately driven by the emission of en ergy and angular momentum via gravitational waves. Yet general relativity alone is not enough to explain the existence of merging compact-object bin aries. For instance\, black-hole binaries of ~10 M☉ orbiting at separati ons of ~10 R☉ would take longer than a Hubble time to merge under gravit ational radiation reaction alone.

Additional astrophysical proce sses are therefore required to bring these binaries into the gravitational -wave regime. Understanding the origin and evolution of merging compact bi naries remains one of the central challenges in gravitational-wave astrono my and has motivated the development of a variety of formation scenarios. In this talk\, I will present a status update on the formation-channel pro blem\, with a specific focus on hierarchical black-hole mergers.

Along the way\, I will highlight the statistical challenge we face: infer ring the properties of a population of sources from noisy measurements sub ject to strong selection effects. Recent advances in hierarchical Bayesian inference--and\, why not\, a touch of machine learning--are enabling us t o extract increasingly detailed information from gravitational-wave data. These methods are laying the foundation for the time when our field will f ully transition into a genuine big-data science.

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