Gravitational Waves and Multi-Messenger Astronomy: From First Discoveries to the Einstein Telescope

by Prof. Marica Branchesi (Gran Sasso Science Institute)

Wednesday 11 Nov 2026, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Vienna

Besprechungsraum 2 (Marietta Blau Institute for Particle Physics, Dominikanerbastei 16 [PSK], 1010 Vienna)

Gravitational-wave and multi-messenger astronomy have experienced an extraordinary rise in the ten years since the first direct detection of gravitational waves on Earth. I will explain how gravitational-wave discoveries, together with the historic multi-messenger observation of the merger of a binary system of neutron stars, have transformed multiple fields of physics, highlighting the unique insights gained by combining gravitational waves with electromagnetic observations. These observations have deepened our understanding of compact objects, stellar evolution, and relativistic astrophysics, while also opening up new perspectives on nuclear physics, cosmology, and fundamental physics. The talk will then focus on the science enabled by the Einstein Telescope, with particular emphasis on its potential for multi-messenger astronomy. I will explore how this next-generation gravitational-wave observatory, working in synergy with electromagnetic facilities, promises to make multi-messenger detections routine and open new opportunities for understanding the Universe.

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