About this Workshop

Gravitational wave tests of the theory of gravity have the potential to shed light on some of the most profound challenges facing physics today: from explanations of cosmic acceleration and dark matter to the reconciliation of gravity and quantum theory. Advanced LIGO and Virgo are expected to come on-line around 2014, and we expect to make routine gravitational wave detections with these instruments. To begin preparations for this era, UWM's Center for Gravitation and Cosmology hosted the Alt Grav workshop in Milwaukee on May 26th and 27th, 2010.

The goal of this workshop was to plan and scope out work to prepare for the era of advanced detectors. The workshop began with an introductory tutorial by Cliff Will on the physics of gravitational waves in alternative theories of gravity. This set the stage for workshop participants to think about data analysis techniques, pipelines, milestones, and deliverables, to get the most out of the routine gravitational wave detections we expect in the advanced detector era. The workshop was structured relatively informally with focus sessions on gravitational wave bursts, compact binary systems, stochastic background, and continuous waves.