Astrophysical inference and transient gravitational wave astronomy  [slides]

Abstract

The LIGO and Virgo detectors offer a new and fascinating window into astrophysics. Already, five binary black hole mergers and one binary neutron star merger have been observed. Bayesian inference has been central to extracting knowledge of these systems. In this talk, I will first give an overview of how inference methods are applied in practise. I will then describe how these inference methods can be used to improve the science that can be done with ground based interferometers: from inferring population distributions to better understanding individual detections. I'll end by discussing recent efforts by OzGrav to build the next generation of inference tools.