Gravitational-wave searches for compact binaries with Advanced LIGO & the role of Numerical Relativity

CRA Seminar - Dr. Prayush Kumar, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics

The first terrestrial observation of gravitational waves by Advanced LIGO heralds an era of gravitational-wave astronomy. Binary systems of compact objects, such as black holes and neutron stars, are the primary sources targeted by these observatories. While Numerical Relativity (NR) has already been instrumental in shaping gravitational-wave searches, the concurrent discovery of "heavy" black hole binaries (masses ~ 30-35 Msuns) by Advanced LIGO opens up new avenues for its application to future searches. In this talk, I will discuss results from recent LIGO-Virgo searches; highlight the involvement of NR so far, and discuss some prospective NR applications to future binary black hole observations.