The birth of a completely new branch of observational astronomy is a rare and exciting occurrence. For a long time, our theories about gravitational waves-proposed by Albert Einstein and others more than a hundred years ago-could never be fully proven, since we lacked the proper technology to do it.

That all changed when, on September 14, 2015, instruments at the LIGO Observatory detected gravitational waves for the first time.

This book explores the nature of gravitational waves-what they are, where they come from, why they are so significant and why nobody could prove they existed before now. Written in plain language and interspersed with additional explanatory tutorials, it will appeal to lay readers, science enthusiasts, physical science students, amateur astronomers and to professional scientists and astronomers.

About the Author

Chris Kitchin is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Hertfordshire and a freelance writer of astrophysics books. From 1987 to 2001, he was director of the university's observatory at Bayfordbury, and from 1996 to 2001, he was also head of the Division of Physics and Astronomy. He took early retirement in 2001 in order to concentrate on his writing, and the seventh edition of his widely used Astrophysical Techniques was published in August 2020. Chris has written fourteen books and contributed to another dozen or so and he has written hundreds of articles ranging from popular astronomy to specialist research. In 1997, he was awarded the title of Professor of the Public Understanding of Astronomy.

Reviews
"The material covered and the manner of presentation are at a level somewhat higher than those of the typical popular-science book aimed at the 'interested lay reader'. ... The book also describes all the major GW detectors currently active, as well as many projects planned or under-development. The writing is fluid, the physical book is nicely typeset and very readable ... . I think many readers would enjoy and learn much from this book." (Jonathan Thornburg, The Observatory, Vol. 142 (1291), December, 2022)



Book Information
ISBN 9783030742065
Author C. R. Kitchin
Format Paperback
Page Count 413
Imprint Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher Springer Nature Switzerland AG