Kiranjyot Gill

Searching For Light Knights in the Dark

How do massive stars die? What triggers these cataclysmic catastrophes? My research has centered around the first detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) using both terrestrial and proposed lunar-based interferometers. Detecting GWs from a CCSN would mark the next watershed moment in the nascent field of GW astronomy. GWs, generated by the quadrupole distribution of energy and mass, are intricately linked to the inner dynamics of the explosion mechanism triggering a CCSN and provide unprecedented insights into the underlying mechanism trigging the asymmetric collapse of a massive star. Simulations of these massive stars have recently begun to converge on the essential signatures of the GW signal in order to trace their origin back to fundamental supernova microphysics. However, GW astronomy for CCSNe presents unique challenges compared to detecting GWs from merging compact binaries. While the CCSN waveforms are expected to be predominantly stochastic, critical deterministic features carry imprints of the underlying physics in the time-frequency domain. Additionally, the energy conversion into GWs varies depending on the progenitor star structure and the triggered explosion mechanism. Even the most favorable GW emission mechanisms suggest detectability with current laser interferometers does not extend beyond the Milky Way. However, the detection distance can extend out to several megaparsecs (well beyond our Milky Way) by placing GW detectors on the Moon. Performing GW science with CCSNe requires concerted efforts across multiple fields. My role in the scientific community includes understanding and improving both terrestrial and lunar-based GW detector sensitivities. incorporating progenitor physics in order to aid the development of reliable CCSNe simulations alongside using optical data from telescopes around the world in order to appropriately advance data analysis techniques that would enable the first detection of GWs from a CCSN.