EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern University astrophysicists were among those involved in an international research collaboration that has detected a gravitational-wave signal caused by a merger of what is believed to be a neutron star, and a mystery object.A neutron star is formed when a star runs out of fuel and collapses.
director and Northwestern physics and astronomy professor Vicky Kalogera also worked on the study, as did Michael Zevin, a visiting scholar and astrophysicist at the Adler Planetarium.The gravitational signal was detected by what is known as the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration – which involves three different gravitational wave detection systems in different parts of the world.