Probing the Transient Universe with Gravitational Waves: Status and Prospects

Laura Cadonati, University of Massachusetts Amherst
for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and its 
sister project Virgo aim to achieve in the next few years the first direct 
detection of gravitational waves and open a new observational channel for 
some of the most violent and energetic events in the universe, such as 
colliding black holes and core-collapse supernovae. The information from 
gravitational waves, complementary to the multi-wavelength electromagnetic 
spectrum, neutrinos and cosmic rays, will contribute to a more complete, 
multi-messenger understanding of such sources as gamma-ray bursts, soft-
gamma repeaters, supernovae, and glitching pulsars.
In this talk I will review how electromagnetic and neutrino observations and 
the theoretical understanding of source dynamics and populations are 
implemented in gravitational wave analyses. I will present selected results 
from LIGO data and outline prospects for discovery in the advanced detector 
era, with particular focus on transient signatures.