Saul Teukolsky (Cornell)  “Black Holes and Gravitational Waves” Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 1:00 – 2:00 PM, 340 West Hall   Please Note: Coffee and cookies will be available in the Don Myer Commons, 337 WH prior to the lecture. Abstract: Gravitational wave detectors like LIGO are poised to begin detecting signals. One of the prime scientific goals is to detect waves from the coalescence and merger of black holes in binary systems. Confronting such signals with the predictions of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity will be the first real strong-field test of the theory. Until very recently, theorists were unable to calculate what the theory actually predicts. I will describe recent breakthroughs that have occurred and that have set things up for an epic confrontation of theory and experiment.

Jonathan I Lunine (Prof. of Planetary Science and Physics) U. of Arizona The Methane Hydrological Cycle on Titan Thursday, March 27th 2008 340 West Hall @ 4:00 PM