Unit MULTI-MESSENGER ASTROPHYSICS FROM GRAVITATIONAL WAVES TO GAMMA RAYS
- Course
- Physics
- Study-unit Code
- A003089
- Curriculum
- Fisica delle particelle elementari
- Teacher
- Mateusz Bawaj
- Teachers
-
- Mateusz Bawaj
- Helios Vocca (Codocenza)
- Sara Cutini
- Hours
- 14 ore - Mateusz Bawaj
- 14 ore (Codocenza) - Helios Vocca
- 14 ore - Sara Cutini
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2026
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Affine/integrativa
- Area
- Attività formative affini o integrative
- Sector
- PHYS-05/A
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- The term multi-messenger astrophysics refers to the field of science that combines different observational probes of the Universe within a unified data-analysis framework to obtain the most accurate and comprehensive physical information about astrophysical phenomena.
The course Multi-Messenger Astrophysics: From Gravitational Waves to Gamma Rays reviews recent developments in this field and introduces the main state-of-the-art data-analysis techniques employed in modern astrophysics. Furthermore, the course provides an advanced overview of the experimental methods developed for the detection of gravitational waves, with particular emphasis on laser-interferometric detectors, fundamental sensitivity limitations, noise sources, and the control and calibration techniques required for precision measurements. - Reference texts
- P. Saulson, Fundamentals of interferometric gravitational wave detectors, 2. ed.,World Scientific 2017
M. Maggiore, Gravitational Waves, Volume 1: Theory and experiments
M. Craig and L., Chambers, edited by L. Glattly. CCD Data reduction guide (http://www.astropy.org/ccd-reduction-and-photometry-guide/v/dev/notebooks/00-00-Preface.html)
M. Longair. High Energy Astrophysics, Third Edition 2011.
Kumar 2014, DOI: 10.1016/j.physrep.2014.09.008
Urry & Padovani 1995, DOI 10.1086/133630
Lecturers' notes - Educational objectives
- Students will acquire the fundamental scientific knowledge required to analyse and interpret information and results produced by the international network of gravitational-wave interferometers. Throughout the course, students will learn the operating principles of the Virgo, LIGO, and KAGRA detector network and will become familiar with the major scientific discoveries achieved in recent years through the study of the relevant literature published in international scientific journals. In addition, students will gain an understanding of second and third-generation gravitational-wave observatories, with particular emphasis on the Einstein Telescope.
In the second part of the course, students will explore topics in high-energy astrophysics and the techniques used to analyse astronomical sources. The course aims to provide students with the skills required to manage and analyse multi-wavelength data from galactic and extragalactic sources, as well as the tools needed to understand the physical mechanisms responsible for the emission processes of celestial objects. - Prerequisites
- Knowledge about the fundamentals of the theory of General Relativity.
- Teaching methods
- Lectures supported by PowerPoint presentation and multimedia. Some arguments will be explained with the use of software scripts. Information technologies involved in the gravitational waves field will use software libraries for data analysis and other specific software pieces.
The most important arguments will be mastered with the analysis of selected scientific papers mainly from Virgo, LIGO, KAGRA and Fermi LAT collaboration. During several lectures, students will propose arguments to be analysed in detail in an interactive way. - Other information
- Learning verification modality
- The exam consists in an oral examination. The examinations are designed at evaluating the student's knowledge and understanding of the topics presented during the course.
- Extended program
- Multi-messenger astrophysics: from gravitational waves to gamma rays
Part 1 – Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Detectors (14h)
Historical introduction to gravitational-wave research. Physical motivations for the detection of gravitational waves and comparison between gravitational and electromagnetic interactions.
Principles of operation of interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. The Michelson interferometer as a differential displacement sensor. Effects of gravitational waves on free test masses and their description in the local reference frame.
Fundamental noise sources in gravitational-wave detectors. Seismic noise, thermal noise of suspensions and mirrors, and quantum noise of light. The Fluctuation–Dissipation Theorem and its applications to ultra-precise measurement systems.
Sensitivity of ground-based interferometers. Noise curves and their interpretation. Analysis of fundamental measurement limits and the Standard Quantum Limit. Advanced strategies for sensitivity enhancement.
Current and future gravitational-wave observatories. Architecture and operating principles of Virgo, LIGO, and KAGRA. Prospects for third-generation detectors, with particular emphasis on the Einstein Telescope and the technological solutions required to improve low-frequency sensitivity.
Part 2 – Gravitational Waves (14h)*:
Newtonian theory of gravity. Comparison of gravity with the other forces of nature. Inertial mass and gravitational mass. Transverse-traceless gauge and proper reference frame.
The nature of gravitational waves:
Polarization of gravitational waves. The Michelson-Morley experiment and a schematic detector of gravitational waves. Description of gravitational waves in terms of force.
Review of noise theory in measuring instruments:
Stochastic processes. Mean, variance, correlation, autocorrelation. Harmonic process. Linear transformations. Power spectrum. Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem. The signal-to-noise ratio and the problem of linear data filtering.
Gravitational wave detectors and measurement techniques:
Modulation and detection in phase. Wide band optical detectors. Michelson interferometer and Fabry-Perot cavity. Recycling of light. Opto-mechanical systems with feedback: Pound-Drever-Hall technique. Shot noise and radiation pressure reduction. The quantum limit of gravitational detectors and the strategies to overcome this limit. Future gravitational wave detectors.
Gravitational signal detection:
The problem of signal detection. Matched filter and the SEOB model.
Part 3 – Gamma-ray Bursts (14h):
Introduction to the star evolution physics with a stress on the formation processes and nucleosynthesis related to compact objects like Neutron Stars and Black Holes.
Short story of astrophysics, introduction to modern astrophysics with the use of satellite observations at various wavelengths.
Detection techniques and high energy astrophysics data analysis with a particular stress on gamma-ray and X-ray sources. Dominating electromagnetic emission mechanisms in the astrophysical sources which emit high-energy photons like: Self Synchrotron Compton, External Compton, hadronic model highlighting multi-messenger sources as blazars and GRB.
Introduction to Relativistic Beam concept. Blasar and GRB associated study of phenomenology at various wavelength from radio to TeV with highlight on binary systems and r-processes.
Fundamental properties of neutrinos: interaction types and collision radius of various processes, neutrino oscillations. Introduction to detection techniques with detector examples.
Brief history of astrophysical neutrinos: solar neutrino anomalies, neutrino oscillation discovery and the most recent measurements. Neutrinos from Supernova SN1987A. IceCube IC170922A event and the first neutrino detection from extragalactic sources.
Multi-messenger type diffuse flux (photons, cosmic rays, neutrinos), propagation of various astrophysical messengers, astrophysical neutrino production processes, expected spectrum and flavor composition.
Scientific results of IceCube experiment. Neutrino astrophysics in the multi-messenger context. New experiments and future developments.
* lectures supported by examples provided as simple software scripts in Python and JavaScript. Use of GitHub repositories for data and project exchange. - Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
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