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LIGO detects most massive black hole merger to date

(www.caltech.edu)
360 points Eduard | 1 comments | 14 Jul 25 20:06 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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kens ◴[14 Jul 25 21:49 UTC] No.44565731[source]▶
A month ago, the proposed NSF budget would shut down one of the two LIGO observatories in the US, wrecking its ability to triangulate the location of events such as this black hole merger. A shutdown would also severely damage the noise margins and detection rate. Does anyone know if the shutdown is still planned? (I couldn't find any recent info.)

https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-s-proposed-cut...

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BurningFrog ◴[15 Jul 25 06:12 UTC] No.44568322[source]▶
So maybe that is why this discovery from 2023 gets published right now.
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1. gus_massa ◴[15 Jul 25 12:38 UTC] No.44570515[source]▶
I think all the previous events were announced with a big delay. They have a long pipeline of checks. The signals have too much noise and it's difficult not to cheat and find fake signals in the noise. IIRC they even have a team that adds secretly fake signals to ensure the pipeline is working and after it's detected the team disclose if it's real or fake, before publication.