Stellar Populations and Gravitational Wave Observations

Center for Gravitational Wave Physics
Penn State University
2-5 December, 2002

Organizers:
• Vicky Kalogera (Northwestern University)
• Steinn Sigurdsson (Penn State Center for Gravitational Wave Physics)
• Lee Samuel Finn (Penn State Center for Gravitational Wave Physics)
  

Focus sessions are small, intense, expert meetings on a well-defined set of scientific questions. The emphasis is on discussion, understanding and future planning.

Topic:
Ground and (especially) space-based detectors are sensitive to gravitational waves from compact binary populations in galactic fields and stellar clusters. This focus session's goal is to begin the discussion of how we interpret those observations to characterize these binary populations. Among the questions to be considered are how we use those observations to estimate coalescence rate and distribution of physical properties within populations, to identify black-hole formation rates and distribution of black hole properties; how we use information that associates gravitational wave observations with electromagnetic sources (e.g., gamma-ray bursts, supernovae); and observational selection effects associated with gravitational wave observations of binaries and ways of quantifying them.

Program and Proceedings:

The meeting program with links to the presentations made follow.