Christopher P L Berry: Faculty Experts

Christopher P L Berry

Field:

Data Science, Physics and Astronomy

Focus Areas:

Astronomy, Astrophysics, Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, Gravity, Theoretical Astrophysics

Contact:

• (847) 491-3919
• Email Christopher
• Website
• @cplberry

Media Relations Contact:

Amanda Morris

• (847) 467-6790
• Email Amanda

About

Areas of Focus

• Gravitational-wave astronomy
• Black holes
• General relativity and gravitation
• Binary star astrophysics
• Neutron stars
• Multimessenger astronomy

Work/Research

• Gravitational-wave data analysis: how to make inferences from our measured signals
• The astrophysics of compact object binaries: how binaries of black holes or neutron stars form
• Future gravitational-wave astronomy: how future gravitational-wave detectors may reveal more of the universe and help us understand gravity, black holes, and how stars and galaxies evolve

Career

• In 2018, he joined Northwestern's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research for Astrophysics (CIERA) as the inaugural Board of Visitors Research Professor; he currently works on a diverse range of topics related to gravitational waves and the astrophysics of their sources (black holes and neutron stars)
• He is a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration; in 2015, the LIGO detectors made the first observation of a gravitational-wave signal, and Berry has been busy analyzing and interpreting gravitational-wave discoveries ever since
• While completing his PhD at the University of Cambridge, he studied the scientific potential of the future space-based gravitational-wave observatory LISA