Introduction to Gravitational Wave Science

18 Oct 2025, 09:00 → 24 Jan 2026, 12:00 Asia/Shanghai

1502 (SEU-YC)

Gabriel Luz Almeida (Shing-Tung Yau center, Southeast University), Hongbin Wang (Southeast university), Yuchen Du (Shing-Tung Yau Center, Southeast University), Zhengwen Liu (Southeast University)

The groundbreaking detection of Gravitational Waves has inaugurated a transformative and exciting epoch in fundamental physics. These ripples in spacetime provide a unique and powerful probe for exploring the universe, enabling us to test Einstein's theory of General Relativity in its most extreme regimes and profoundly deepen our understanding of gravitational dynamics.

This lecture series is designed to give young explorers (undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and early-career researchers) a systematic introduction to the foundations of Gravitational Wave Science. Our goal is to equip you with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to thrive and unravel the enigmas of the cosmos in this rapidly advancing field. Topics covered include the nature and generation of gravitational waves, key astrophysical and cosmological sources (such as binary black holes and neutron stars), theoretical modeling approaches, as well as an overview of detection methods and data analysis techniques. More precisely, we will use Gravitational Waves (vol 1) by Michele Maggiore as the main textbook. The lectures will primarily cover “Part I: Gravitational-Wave Theory,” along with several selected sections from “Part II: Gravitational-Wave Experiments.”

Prerequisites: A deep passion for science is paramount, paired with excellent scientific curiosity and a high aspiration for academic excellence. At minimum, you should have a solid foundation in electrodynamics and special relativity. Prior familiarity with general relativity is not strictly required but will be highly beneficial for your learning experience.

Instructors: Zhengwen Liu, Gabriel Almeida, Hongbin Wang, Yuchen Du

Website: indico.global/e/gw-lect2025 (all schedules and materials will posted and updated here)

Time: Saturday 9:00 - 12:00 (Start Date: 18 Oct 2025)

Location: 东南大学四牌楼校区 (具体教室将在日程处更新)

Additional Information

• Formal registration is not required, but for planning and logistical purposes, we kindly ask interested individuals to send your basic information to seuqft@yeah.net.
• This series of lectures is voluntarily organized by the QFT Group at SEU. It carries no academic credit (non-credit bearing), but participants are strongly encouraged to complete problem sets and assignments to maximize their learning.
• The format will be discussion-based, with active participation strongly encouraged.
• Lectures will be presented in English.

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References

[1] M. Maggiore, Gravitational Waves. Vol. 1: Theory and Experiments, Oxford, 2007 (main textbook)

[2] M. Maggiore, Gravitational Waves. Vol. 2: Astrophysics and Cosmology, Oxford, 2018

[3] E.Poisson and C. M. Will, Gravity: Newtonian, Post-Newtonian, Relativity, Cambridge, 2014

[4] M. C.  Miller and N. Yunes, Gravitational Waves in Physics and Astrophysics: An Artisan's Guide, IOP, 2021

[5] E.Flanagan and S. Hughes, The Basics of Gravitational Wave Theory, NJP 7 (2005) 204 [gr-qc/0501041]

[6] A. Le Tiec and J. Novak, Theory of Gravitational Waves, arXiv: 1607.04202

[7] S. Speziale and D. A. Steer, An Introduction to Gravitational Wave Theory, arXiv: 2508.21817

[8] A. Buonanno, Gravitational waves, Lectures in Les Houches Summer School 2007, arXiv:0709.4682

[9] A.Buonanno, Gravitational Waves from Inspiraling Binary Black Holes, CQG 19 (2002) 1267 [gr-qc/0203030]

Saturday 18 October

09:00 → 10:15 Lecture 1: Introduction to gravitational-wave science

We begin our journey with a broad overview of the science of Gravitational Waves (GWs). In this lecture, we will address fundamental questions such as, "What are gravitational waves?" and "What astrophysical events in the Universe can produce them?" We will also review the key discoveries of the past decade, following the first direct detection of GWs. This first lecture begins with a brief overview of the limitations of Newtonian gravity and its successor, Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. We then introduce the astrophysical sources of gravitational waves and trace the key historical developments leading to their discovery.

Speaker: Gabriel Luz Almeida (Shing-Tung Yau center, Southeast University)

Lectures 1 and 2.pdf

10:30 → 12:00 Lecture 2: Introduction to gravitational-wave science (II)

In this second lecture, we introduce the basic principles of gravitational wave detection, the characteristic waveforms produced by compact binary systems, and their important physical properties. We conclude the lecture with a discussion on the future prospects of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy and its potential to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos.

Speaker: Gabriel Luz Almeida (Shing-Tung Yau center, Southeast University)

Saturday 25 October

09:00 → 12:00 Week 2: GW

This lecture will be devoted to introducing the technical foundations of the field, covering the basics of linearized gravity. This lecture covers the textbook's §1.1.
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Speaker: Gabriel Luz Almeida (Shing-Tung Yau center of the Southeast University)

Saturday 1 November

09:00 → 12:00 Week 3: GW

Speaker: Gabriel Luz Almeida (Shing-Tung Yau center of the Southeast University)

Saturday 8 November

09:00 → 12:00 Week 4: GW

Speaker: Gabriel Luz Almeida (Shing-Tung Yau center of the Southeast University)