{"id":23,"date":"2020-07-21T09:35:36","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T13:35:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/lab-template\/?page_id=20"},"modified":"2025-07-18T20:09:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T00:09:08","slug":"20-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/","title":{"rendered":"Gravity Research"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-hero-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-hero   cl-has-accessibility-controls\"><div class=\"cl-hero-proper\"><div class=\"overlay\"><div class=\"block\"><h1>U\u00b2GRC<\/h1><p>UMass-URI Gravity Research Consortium<\/p><\/div><\/div><div id=\"2fff5cad-f0a2-bea5-949e-b9f132603f44\" data-video=\"kkKDs59zcdI\" data-platform=\"youtube\" class=\"poster\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/blackhole-merger_1.jpg);\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-controls-container\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-controls\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-icon\" title=\"Accessibility controls\">Accessibility controls<\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control cl-accessibility-motion-control\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-default\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-button\" title=\"Pause motion\">Pause motion<\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-label\">Motion: <span class=\"cl-accessibility-syntax\">On<\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-alternate\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-button\" title=\"Play motion\">Play motion<\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-label\">Motion: <span class=\"cl-accessibility-syntax\">Off<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control cl-accessibility-contrast-control\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-default\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-button\" title=\"Increase text contrast\">Increase text contrast<\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-label\">Contrast: <span class=\"cl-accessibility-syntax\">Standard<\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-alternate\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-button\" title=\"Reset text contrast\">Reset text contrast<\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-control-label\">Contrast: <span class=\"cl-accessibility-syntax\">High<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-system-setting\"><div class=\"cl-accessibility-toggle\" title=\"Apply my preferences site-wide\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-accessibility-toggle-label\">Apply site-wide<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-hero-caption-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-hero-caption\">Gravitational waves from LIGO&#8217;s first detection<\/div><div class=\"cl-hero-credit\">SXS<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center type-intro fullwidth\">Welcome to the UMass-URI Gravity Research Consortium (U<sup>2<\/sup>GRC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 38%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>The U<sup>2<\/sup>GRC is a collaboration between the gravity research groups at <a href=\"https:\/\/umassd.edu\">UMass Dartmouth<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/uri.edu\">University of Rhode Island<\/a>. The research areas of interest to the group members include: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Black_hole\">black holes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ligo.caltech.edu\/page\/what-are-gw\">gravitational waves<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Multi-messenger_astronomy\">multi-messenger astronomy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astrophysics\">astrophysics<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quantum_gravity\">quantum gravitation<\/a>. Most members are part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ligo.org\">LIGO Science Collaboration<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elisascience.org\/articles\/lisa-consortium\">LISA Consortium<\/a>. Research efforts in the U<sup>2<\/sup>GRC are funded through multiple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\">National Science Foundation<\/a> (NSF) grants, <a href=\"https:\/\/nasa.gov\">NASA<\/a> and private foundations (<a href=\"https:\/\/fqxi.org\">FQXi<\/a> and others).<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-1024x624.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1822 size-medium\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-1024x624.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-768x468.jpg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-1536x936.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-2048x1248.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-364x222.jpg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-500x305.jpg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-1000x609.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-1280x780.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-2000x1219.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/U\u00b2GRC-black_transparent-scaled.jpg 2560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"cl-wrapper cl-card-wrapper\"><a class=\"cl-card  \" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/about\/\" title=\"\"><div class=\"cl-card-container media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582.jpeg\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container text\"><div class=\"cl-card-text\"><h2>About<\/h2><p>Details on key research projects.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container button\">Explore<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"cl-wrapper cl-card-wrapper\"><a class=\"cl-card  \" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/people\/\" title=\"\"><div class=\"cl-card-container media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/321A0384-scaled-e1739019620956.jpg\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"A portrait of Rob Coyne in front of a blurred backdrop of trees.\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container text\"><div class=\"cl-card-text\"><h2>People<\/h2><p>Details on our group members.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container button\">Explore<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"cl-wrapper cl-card-wrapper\"><a class=\"cl-card  \" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/publications\/\" title=\"\"><div class=\"cl-card-container media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/home-banner-img.png\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"\"><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container text\"><div class=\"cl-card-text\"><h2>Publications<\/h2><p>Recent publications.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"cl-card-container button\">Explore<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"fullwidth\">U<sup>2<\/sup>GRC members collaborate externally with other research groups including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.black-holes.org\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.black-holes.org\">Simulating Extreme Spacetimes (SXS) Collaboration<\/a> (Caltech &amp; Cornell), <a href=\"https:\/\/space.mit.edu\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/space.mit.edu\">Kavli Institute for Astrophysics<\/a> (MIT), <a href=\"https:\/\/bhi.fas.harvard.edu\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/bhi.fas.harvard.edu\">Black Hole Initiative <\/a>&amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfa.harvard.edu\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cfa.harvard.edu\">Center for Astrophysics<\/a> (Harvard), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.mpg.de\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.aei.mpg.de\">Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics<\/a> (Germany), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.depts.ttu.edu\/phas\/Research\/Research_areas\/Astronomy_astro.php\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.depts.ttu.edu\/phas\/Research\/Research_areas\/Astronomy_astro.php\">Texas Tech<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gravity.psu.edu\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.gravity.psu.edu\">Penn State University<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsu.edu\/physics\/research\/general-relativity.php\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.lsu.edu\/physics\/research\/general-relativity.php\">Louisiana State University.<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"display-posts-listing\"><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/phd-openings\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/321a1876-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A group of U\u00b2GRC students and faculty having an energetic discussion in URI&#039;s &quot;AstroSpace&quot; common area.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/321a1876-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/321a1876-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/phd-openings\/\">Multiple funded PhD positions available at the U\u00b2GRC<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">Multiple funded PhD positions are available at the UMass Dartmouth and University of Rhode Island gravity research group.&nbsp; We seek candidates for multiple, fully-funded PhD positions at UMass Dartmouth and the University of Rhode Island in the broad area of gravitational-wave science.&nbsp; Gravitational physics researchers at both universities have recently established the UMass-URI Gravity Research [&hellip;]<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/congratulations-to-dr-manas-vishal\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/Manas_Chaska-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/Manas_Chaska-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/Manas_Chaska-300x300.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/congratulations-to-dr-manas-vishal\/\">Congratulations to Dr. Manas Vishal!<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">Manas just passed his PhD defense and is now Dr. Vishal! Congratulations, Manas. His PhD dissertation is titled &#8220;Precision and Perturbation Theory of Extreme-Mass-Ratio Black Holes&#8221; and his committee included Scott Field, Sigal Gottlieb, Sarah Caudill and Gaurav Khanna. The U2GRC celebrated Manas&#8217; degree completion at Chaska Restaurant in Cranston, RI. \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/teaching-faculty-position-at-umassd\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-364x364.jpeg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-500x500.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582-1000x1000.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/im-65582.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/teaching-faculty-position-at-umassd\/\">Teaching faculty position at UMassD<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">Assistant\/Associate Teaching Professor Position in Physics &#8212; The Department of Physics in the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth invites applications for an Assistant\/Associate Teaching Professor position. This is a full-time academic year, non-tenure-track position with primary responsibilities for undergraduate laboratory and classroom teaching. Details here: https:\/\/careers.umassd.edu\/en-us\/job\/528816\/assistantassociate-teaching-professor-physics<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/michael-included-on-stanfords-top-2-of-scientists-list\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/MichaelPurrer-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/MichaelPurrer-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/MichaelPurrer.jpeg 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/michael-included-on-stanfords-top-2-of-scientists-list\/\">Michael included on Stanford&#8217;s top 2% of scientists list!<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/university-of-rhode-island-faculty-members-named-to-stanford-universitys-top-2-scientists-2024-list\/ Congratulations, Michael!<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/deborah-derek-rob-are-famous\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/ligo_logo-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/ligo_logo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1991\/ligo_logo-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/deborah-derek-rob-are-famous\/\">Deborah, Derek &amp; Rob are famous \ud83d\ude09<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">Our own Deborah, Derek and Rob are credited in LIGO&#8217;s 10th anniversary of the first detection media blitz! https:\/\/www.caltech.edu\/about\/news\/ten-years-later-ligo-is-a-black-hole-hunting-machine and even the New York Times https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/10\/science\/gravitational-waves-ligo-black-holes.htmlAnd here as well .. https:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/article\/ringing-black-hole-test-hawking-kerr Congratulations folks! Wow!!<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<a class=\"cl-button  \" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/news\/\" title=\"\">More News<\/a>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the UMass-URI Gravity Research Consortium (U2GRC). The U2GRC is a collaboration between the gravity research groups at UMass Dartmouth and the University of Rhode Island. The research areas of interest to the group members include: black holes, gravitational waves, multi-messenger astronomy, astrophysics and quantum gravitation. Most members are part of the LIGO Science [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4052,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-23","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4052"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2289,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23\/revisions\/2289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gravity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}