Astrophysics Colloquium: A Decade of Gravitational-wave Science

Abstract: Ten years after LIGO's first direct detection of gravitational waves, we now have a catalog of a few hundred gravitational-wave events. This talk will provide an overview of some highlights from the population, focusing on extreme and unexpected sources. This includes astrophysical implications of the most massive event to date (GW231123), and testing general relativity with the loudest event to date (GW250114). We will also discuss findings from statistical analyses of the event catalogs, including clues as to how the universe forms binary black hole systems, as well as novel probes of general relativity and cosmology.