You are warmly invited to attend the Public Lecture featuring Professor Matthew Bailes, the recipient of the 2023 Shaw Prize.
Theme: Exploring Einstein's Universe with South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope.
Abstract
South Africa's revolutionary new radio telescope "The MeerKAT" is providing astronomers with new views of the Universe due to its amazing sensitivity and views of the rich Southern skies. In this public lecture, Professor Matthew Bailes (2023 Shaw Prize winner) will take us on a virtual tour of Einstein's Universe using interactive 3D computer graphics, and real data from MeerKAT that demonstrate how we are witnessing never before seen phenomena from neutron stars that illustrate the durability of Einstein's last great theory, General Relativity. This talk requires minimal mathematical background and uses analogies to help the audience understand the science of black holes, neutron stars and extreme gravity.
Below: A scene from Professor Bailes' talk illustrating two neutron stars in orbit of each other. MeerKAT regularly observes the famous "double pulsar" two stars heavier than the Sun that orbit each other ten times per day and emit gravitational waves that shake the fabric of space-time.
For more information, kindly contact Prof Christo Venter.