‭Third generation gravitational wave detectors: the view from Latin America

June 29 – July 3, 2026

Principia Institute, São Paulo, Brazil

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The second generation of Gravitational wave (GW) detectors has been operating until recently at unprecedented sensitivity, providing observations of binary system coalescences, whose sources are neutron stars and black holes with masses ranging from one to one hundred solar masses.

The new (3rd) generation of gravitational detectors consists of two projects: Cosmic Explorer (CE) and Einstein Telescope (ET), supported respectively by US and European collaborations with Latin America (LATAM) scientists involved in both projects.

With the intent of covering the wide range of fundamental physics, astronomy and cosmology topics that can be addressed by the upcoming gravitational wave detectors, the goal of the workshop is to spur the contribution of LATAM researchers to the field, with dedicated sessions to all aspects of GW science including Cosmology, Fundamental gravity, Astrophysical populations, Multimessenger astronomy, Neutron stars, Dark matter, Data analysis and Instrument science.

This workshop will be preceded by the School on Astroparticle and Multi-messenger Astrophysics from June 15-26.

 

Organizers:

  • Raul Abramo (USP, Brazil)
  • Miguel Quartin (CBPF, Brazil)
  • Davi Rodrigues (UFES, Brazil)
  • Riccardo Sturani (IFT-UNESP, Brazil)

 

Announcement:

Application is now closed

Speakers

Speakers

  • Odylio Aguiar (INPE, Brazil) – A close loop system to cool down to 123K the test masses of an interferometer for gravitational wave detection
  • Tabata Aira (INPE, Brazil) – From Advanced LIGO to Third-Generation Detectors: The Role of Detector Characterization
  • Parameswaran Ajith (ICTS, India) – Lensing of gravitational waves: A new tool for astrophysics
  • Maria Celeste Artale (U. Andrés Bello of Santiago, Chile) – The host galaxies and formation channels of binary compact object mergers
  • Tessa Baker (U. of Portsmouth, UK) – Cosmology with Gravitational-wave Sirens in GWTC-5
  • Glauber Dorsch (UFMG, Brazil) – Probing particle physics with next-generation gravitational wave experiments
  • Leila Graef (UFF, Brazil) – Prospects for Multi-Frequency Tests of the Primordial Gravitational-Wave Spectrum: From the CMB to Ground-Based Interferometers
  • Thiago Guerreiro (PUC, Rio de Janeiro) – Quantum nature of gravitational wave
  • Maurício Hippert (CBPF, Rio de Janeiro) – Bulk viscosity and dynamical tides as probes of dense matter in neutron-star mergers
  • Giuliano Iorio (ICCUB, Spain) – Population Synthesis as a Tool for Gravitational-Wave Archaeology: Where We Stand and the Road to ET and CE
  • Isabela Santiago de Matos (U. of Portsmouth, UK) – Measuring the Hubble constant from gravitational wave-galaxy cross-correlations
  • Caio Macedo (UFPA, Brazil) – Environmental effects and compact binaries. The dynamical friction of fields
  • Ranier Menote (IFT-UNESP, Brazil) – Synthetic Multi–Messenger Catalogs for Gravitational-Wave Cosmology
  • Osvaldo Moreschi (U. of Córdoba, Argentina) – Sensitivity and efficiencies of third-generation GW observatories in the northern and southern hemisphere
  • Felipe Andrade Oliveira (U. of Zurich, Switzerland) – Multimessenger cosmology
  • Jonas Pereira (UnB, Brazil) – Probing first-order phase transitions in neutron stars with dynamical tides
  • Angelo Ricciardone (Pisa, Italy) – Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background Searches with Einstein Telescope
  • Bangalore Sathyaprakash (Penn State U., USA) – A Decade of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy: Discoveries, Puzzles, and the Road Ahead
  • Alexandre Toubiana (U. of Milano Bicocca, Italy) – Complementarity of Third-Generation Ground-Based Detectors and LISA: Opportunities and Challenges
  • Alessandro Trani (U. of Concepcion, Chile) – Population Properties of Binary Black Holes from Star Clusters and Active Galactic Nuclei

 

Registration

Announcement:

Application is now closed

Program

 

 

Posters

  • Barbosa, Gabriel Marcos Rodrigues (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Brazil): Time-Series Morphology and Auxiliary Channel Correlation for Glitch Characterization

The LIGO detectors operate at a level of sensitivity where even minor instrumental fluctuations can impact the search for gravitational-wave signals. Effective Detector Characterization (DetChar) is essential to ensure that astrophysical searches are not compromised by non-Gaussian transient noise. With ongoing and future observing runs, developing refined methods to identify and understand these disturbances is a priority for maintaining high-quality data and scientific reliability. In this work, we explore a methodology based on the analysis of time-series data from the main strain channel. By implementing machine learning techniques for dimensionality reduction, we investigate whether temporal signatures (time-series morphologies) can be used to characterize different classes of glitches (transient noise). In addition, we aim to identify statistical dependencies between instrumental behavior and transient noise events by analyzing auxiliary channels, which record information from sensors that monitor the instrument’s environment. This framework provides a scalable approach to understanding the detector’s response to various noise sources. Besides providing a methodology to support glitch investigation, these efforts aim to enable the development of automated data-quality vetoes and the identification of the physical origins of various noise sources, thereby enhancing the detector’s duty cycle and overall sensitivity, not only for current detectors but also for future ones.

  • Berganholi, Bruno (UFMG, Brazil): Computing the potential of a Composite Higgs Model: can it source Gravitational Waves?

The Higgs Mechanism requires that the Higgs Boson has a non-zero Vacuum Expectation value, thus breaking the Electroweak Symmetry. At the early universe, this symmetry is restored because of thermal effects to the scalar potential, and the character of this transition depends on the form of the potential and the scalar content of our theory. In the Composite Higgs Model we are studying, the Higgs actually behaves as a 2 Higgs Doublet Model, with 4 scalar degrees of freedom, and in this poster I’ll outline the computation of the potential, which is generated radiatively, and the prospects of testing it using Gravitational Waves if it results in a Strong EW Phase Transition

  • Cavalcante, João Paulo (Federal University of ABC, Brazil): Exceptional Point and Hysteresis in Perturbations of Kerr Black Holes

We employ the isomonodromic method to study linear scalar massive perturbations of Kerr black holes for generic scalar masses Mμ and generic black hole spins a/M. We find that the longest-living quasinormal mode and the first overtone coincide for (Mμ)_c ≃ 0.3704981 and (a/M)_c ≃ 0.9994660. We also show that the longest-living mode and the first overtone change continuously into each other as we vary the parameters around the point of degeneracy, providing evidence for the existence of a geometric phase around an exceptional point. We interpret our findings through a thermodynamic analogy.

  • Cavalheiro, Gabriel De Oliveira (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, Brazil): Examining the influence of anisotropy on the fundamental mode of nonradial oscillation in neutron stars on a complete general relativistic scheme

The anisotropic influence on the f -mode frequency of oscillations and dimensionless tidal deformability of neutron stars is analyzed by employing the nonradial oscillation equations for the complete general relativity frame and tidal deformability equations, which are derived and modified from their standard form to introduce the anisotropic factor. The fluid inside the compact star obeys an equation of state constructed by matching microscopic nuclear and perturbative QCD calculations through a piecewise polytropic interpolating scheme. For the anisotropic function, we use a local anisotropy which is regular along the whole star and vanishes both at the center and on the star’s surface. We show that the f -mode oscillation frequency and dimensionless tidal deformability are noticeably affected by anisotropy. Finally, we investigate the correlation between the dimensionless tidal deformability inferred from the GW170817 event and the anisotropy parameter.

  • Cisternas Belloni, Antonia Sofía (Universidad de Chile, Chile): Evolution of parity-violating gravitational waves and their effects on Cosmic Microwave Background polarization

Inflation provides a well-motivated framework for the generation of parity-violating effects in the early Universe. The simplest inflationary models have two fields: the inflaton and graviton, and the leading-order parity-violating interaction between them is described by Chern-Simons (CS) gravity. This interaction induces a parity-violating signature in pri- mordial tensor perturbations. Such perturbations correspond to primordial chiral grav- itational waves (CGWs), as the two tensor helicities evolve differently [1]. This chiral asymmetry is subsequently transferred to the polarization of photons through Thomson scattering and becomes imprinted on the cosmic microwave background (CMB). In this work, we will analyze the evolution of primordial chiral gravitational waves across hori- zon crossing during radiation- and matter-dominated eras, and investigate their role as sources of the CMB E- and B-mode polarization [2, 3]. [1] C. Creque-Sarbinowski, S. Alexander, M. Kamionkowski, and O. Philcox, “Parity-violating trispectrum from chern-simons gravity,” 2023. [2] A. Lue, L. Wang, and M. Kamionkowski, “Cosmological signature of new parity-violating interactions,” Physical Review Letters, vol. 83, p. 1506–1509, Aug. 1999. [3] T. Fujita, Y. Minami, M. Shiraishi, and S. Yokoyama, “Can primordial parity violation explain the observed cosmic birefringence?,” Physical Review D, vol. 106, Nov. 2022.

  • De Aguiar Alves, Níckolas (Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil): Using thermodynamics to learn gravitational wave physics

Black holes are some of the most interesting objects in the Universe. While they first arise in the complicated behavior of general relativity, the physical laws ruling their behavior are surprisingly simple. For example, one of the core facts about black holes is that their area never decreases, much like the entropy in thermodynamics. In this note directed at introductory physics students and their instructors, we use this similarity to understand properties of black hole physics using standard techniques from an undergraduate course in thermal physics. We explore the never-decreasing nature of black hole area to obtain bounds on the energy emitted in a black hole merger (a calculation originally done by Hawking). We show how this allows us to think of black holes in manners very similar to heat engines, and how these ideas have been used in modern gravitational wave observatories to test general relativity. This allows a research-level topic to be discussed in introductory physics lectures. Based on C. C. Rodrigues Evangelista and N. Aguiar Alves. “Using thermodynamics to learn gravitational wave physics”. Eur. J. Phys. 47.2, 025604 (2026). arXiv: 2602.21261 [gr-qc].

  • Fontana, Rodrigo Dal Bosco (UFRGS, Brazil): Black holes Superspinars Instability

We analyze the spectrum of rotating black holes beyond general relativity within the Konoplya–Rezzolla–Zhidenko solution, focusing on their linear response to gravitational perturbations. We find the presence of unstable modes for high-spin geometries and strongly coupled systems.

  • Guimarães Do Carmo, Denisson (São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Engineering and Science, Guaratinguetá, Brazil): South American Gravitational-wave Observatory: initial study of geoformological, seismic, and network-response conditions for candidate scientific sites

The deployment of third-generation interferometric gravitational-wave detectors requires the careful selection of scientific sites with low seismic activity, reduced anthropogenic influence, and a strategic geographic location within the global detector network. In this context, the South American Gravitational-wave Observatory (SAGO) emerges as a proposal to host a third-generation detector in South America, expanding the angular coverage of the international network and contributing to the localization of astrophysical sources and the reconstruction of gravitational-wave polarizations. This work presents a preliminary integrated study of candidate sites for SAGO, combining geoformological, demographic, seismic, and detector-network response analyses. Candidate locations in Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia were evaluated by considering altitude, relief, population density, proximity to urban centers, available infrastructure, and regional seismic activity. For the Brazilian sites, public data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) were used, while the regional seismic assessment was based on records from the Brazilian Seismographic Network (RSBR). In parallel, simulations of antenna response functions were performed for networks composed of second- and third-generation gravitational-wave detectors, comparing configurations with and without the inclusion of a South American SAGO-like detector. The results indicate that sites such as Presidente Prudente, Santa Maria, Foz do Iguaçu, and Malargüe present promising preliminary characteristics, combining relatively low population density, favorable geoformological conditions, and lower exposure to intense regional seismic sources, although they still require local instrumental characterization campaigns. In contrast, regions such as Irecê and Salar de Uyuni require greater caution due to limitations associated with regional seismic activity, infrastructure, or logistical conditions. The network-response simulations show that the inclusion of a third-generation detector in South America improves the angular distribution of the network sensitivity, reduces regions of low sky response, and increases the geometric complementarity of the global detector network, reinforcing the strategic role of SAGO in the Southern Hemisphere. This study represents a first step toward the construction of an integrated site-selection methodology for SAGO, linking geophysical and astrophysical criteria. The results provide support for future surface and underground seismic measurement campaigns, as well as for the refinement of network simulations and the technical evaluation of the candidate sites.

  • Hernandez Porras, Diego (universidad de los andes, Colombia): Impact of General Relativistic Hydrodynamics on the Electromagnetic Emission of Neutron Star Mergers: A Multi-Stage Multi-Messenger Approach

The electromagnetic emission from neutron star mergers depends sensitively on the thermodynamic and compositional conditions of the ejected matter, which are ultimately set by the general relativistic hydrodynamics (GRHD) of the coalescence. We present an ongoing study that links three coupled stages of the merger: the GRHD evolution simulated with the Einstein Toolkit, the nucleosynthetic abundance evolution computed with the nuclear reaction network WinNet across a systematic grid of electron fractions, and the resulting kilonova lightcurve predictions. Preliminary results show that while the bolometric luminosity at intermediate timescales is robust against variations in nuclear decay rates, the late-time emission is sensitive to the adopted rates, indicating that late-time lightcurves may serve as a cleaner diagnostic of the underlying nuclear physics once the ejecta composition is fixed by the hydrodynamics. The next stage of this work is to identify which electron fraction conditions from the reaction network grid are physically realized in the GRHD simulation, establishing a self-consistent mapping from spacetime dynamics to observable emission. This framework aims to disentangle the respective contributions of gravitational, nuclear, and radiative physics to the multi-messenger signal, with direct implications for r-process nucleosynthesis and neutron star equation of state constraints.

  • Hilgert Pacheco, Mayara (INPE, Brazil): Constraining Cosmology with Bright Sirens: Fisher and DALI Approaches for Third-Generation Detectors

Gravitational-wave (GW) standard sirens provide a calibration-free measurement of the luminosity distance and constitute an independent probe of the expansion history, with particular relevance for the ongoing Hubble-constant tension. Forecasting the cosmological reach of future detector networks is commonly performed with Fisher-matrix methods, which assume locally Gaussian likelihoods and can fail in the presence of strong degeneracies and non-linear correlations (notably the distance–inclination coupling). In this work we assess non-Gaussian extensions of Fisher forecasting based on the Derivative Approximation for Likelihoods (DALI). We simulate ensembles of bright-siren catalogs for third-generation observatories, adopting a CE+ET network, frequency-domain inspiral waveforms, and selection-motivated priors for counterpart detection. We reconstruct approximate likelihoods using the Fisher (Gaussian) and DALI expansions (Doublet and, when applicable, Triplet), and propagate the inferred distance information to cosmological inference in a w0wa model. We show how higher-order expansions improve the fidelity of the reconstructed likelihood relative to the Gaussian approximation, and we discuss practical choices that enhance numerical stability, including a reparameterization of the distance variable to u = dL^{-1}. Our results quantify when Fisher forecasts are reliable and when DALI corrections are required for robust cosmological constraints with next-generation GW networks.

  • Martins, Julio César (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE, Brazil): Galactic Center Search for High-Frequency Continuous Gravitational Waves with the Frequency-Hough Pipeline

Continuous gravitational waves (CWs) are among the most promising yet still undetected signals in gravitational-wave astronomy, mainly due to their weak amplitude, the large parameter space involved in searches, and the computational limitations. In this work, we present a directed search for high-frequency CW signals from the Galactic Center using LIGO data and the Frequency-Hough pipeline. The Galactic Center is a well-motivated target due to its high density of compact objects, including potential CW emitters such as neutron stars and boson clouds. While most CW searches focus on lower frequency bands, this study explores the high-frequency regime, particularly the region around 3–4 kHz, which overlaps with the sensitivity band historically associated with the Brazilian Mario Schenberg resonant-mass detector. Building on previous high-frequency analyses, we perform a semi-coherent search adapted to this frequency range, combining targeted astrophysical priors with computationally efficient methods. Special attention is given to the impact of detector noise and spectral artifacts, which become increasingly relevant at high frequencies, affecting candidate selection and validation. This work aims to extend CW search methodologies into less explored frequency bands, bridging the gap between interferometric searches and resonant-mass detector sensitivity, and contributing to future strategies for detecting continuous signals with next-generation gravitational-wave observatories.

  • Morais, Jonathan (Observatório Nacional, Brazil): Cosmographic parameters from current and next-generation gravitational wave detectors

We assess the capability of current and next-generation gravitational-wave detectors, such as Advanced LIGO, the Einstein Telescope and DECIGO, to constrain cosmographic parameters using electromagnetically bright standard sirens. Adopting a third-order Taylor expansion of the luminosity distance, we investigate how the signal-to-noise ratio and the number of detected events affect the estimation of the Hubble constant ($H_0$), the deceleration parameter ($q_0$), and the jerk parameter ($j_0$). Our results indicate that while Advanced LIGO enables a calibration-free measurement of $H_0$ at the few-percent level, it lacks sensitivity to higher-order cosmographic parameters. In contrast, the Einstein Telescope and DECIGO achieve sub-percent precision on $H_0$. Notably, DECIGO attains an accuracy better than 10% for the deceleration parameter $q_0$ and at the level of a few tens of percent for the jerk parameter $j_0$.

  • Pedreira, Igor De Oliveira Cardoso (Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil): Sound Speed Resonance in the Gravitational Wave Background as a probe for non-standard early universe cosmologies

Gravitational waves constitute a powerful probe of the underlying theory of gravity. In extensions of general relativity, additional degrees of freedom, such as scalar fields in the gravitational sector, can modify their propagation through changes in the effective friction term and propagation speed. These modifications may potentially induce resonant phenomena leading to distinctive signatures in the gravitational wave spectrum. One important aspect to be investigated is whether the resonances can be strong enough to enhance the underlying background of primordial tensor modes to levels detectable by upcoming gravitational wave detectors, such as LISA or the Einstein telescope. The characteristic peaks in the SBGW spectrum depend on the parameters of the resonant model as well as on the parameters of the primordial tensor spectrum, such as $r$ and $n_{t}$. Thus these resonance effects open a powerful pathway to explore physics of the very early Universe by amplifying otherwise feeble signals to experimentally detectable levels. Here we analyze how the signals of the primordial Universe can resonate in these scenarios, bringing the early universe physics into the realm of experimental access.

  • Pinto, Fabiana Almeida (Universidade Federal de Alfenas – UNIFAL, Brazil): Characterization of seismic noise from the SOS ENATOS site for the construction of the Einstein Telescope.

Seismic noise analysis is an important component of site characterization for the construction of third-generation gravitational interferometers. In this work, we present the current status of seismic characterization studies conducted by the VirgoBR group for the SOS ENATOS site, proposed as one of the possible locations for the construction of the Einstein Telescope.

  • Rodrigues, Everson Henrique (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Brazil): Effects of Microphysics on Neutron Stars in Teleparallel Gravity

The detection of compact objects with masses in the intermediate range between canonical neutron stars and low-mass black holes has opened an important question in relativistic astrophysics: can some of these objects be extremely massive neutron stars, or do they necessarily correspond to black holes? This issue is particularly relevant after gravitational-wave events such as GW190814 and GW230529, whose components occupy the so-called lower mass gap. In this work, I investigate neutron-star configurations in the context of f(T) gravity, a modified teleparallel theory in which gravitational effects are described by torsion rather than curvature. The stellar matter is modeled with dense nuclear equations of state including short-range correlations, which modify the high-density behavior of nuclear matter and can affect the maximum mass, radius, and compactness of neutron stars. By combining these microphysical corrections with modified gravity, the project explores whether stable neutron-star solutions can extend into the intermediate-mass regime while remaining compatible with current astrophysical constraints. This research contributes to the broader effort of distinguishing between the effects of uncertain dense-matter physics and possible deviations from General Relativity in compact objects. In particular, it provides theoretical predictions for mass-radius relations, maximum masses, and stability limits in f(T) gravity with short-range correlations. These results may help interpret massive compact objects detected by gravitational-wave observatories and clarify whether some lower mass-gap objects could be explained as neutron stars rather than black holes. The work therefore connects modified gravity, nuclear physics, and multimessenger astrophysics in the search for the true nature of the most massive neutron stars.

  • Sena, Beatriz Motta Dias (UFMG, Brazil): Reheating in Starobinsky inflation: What do ACT and Gravitational Waves have to say about it?

Recent experimental data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) combined with Planck data has revealed a tension with the standard predictions of the Starobinsky inflationary model. This work explores the inclusion of a non-instantaneous reheating epoch as a mechanism to reconcile the model with these recent observations. Through an MCMC analysis, we demonstrate that aligning the Starobinsky model with ACT data requires a reheating phase characterized by a stiff equation of state. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of this stiff reheating epoch on the spectrum of primordial gravitational waves (PGW). By mapping the parameter space of the reheating temperature and the equation of state, we identify specific regions that achieve a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) > 10, making them detectable by future gravitational wave experiments such as LISA, DECIGO, BBO, and the Einstein Telescope (ET). Finally, we constrain the parameter space by applying cosmological bounds derived from the effective number of relativistic species, establishing a clear exclusion area for the PGW spectrum. This exclusion reveals that the Starobinsky model still falls outside the 1 sigma confidence region, meaning a complete alignment between the model and ACT data is not currently possible.

  • Toribio, Naomi Nitahara (Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Brazil): Selection Effects on Statistical Dark Sirens

The first detection of gravitational waves by LIGO opened a new avenue to measure the Hubble constant (H₀) using standard sirens, which relate the luminosity distance (dL) of compact binary coalescences (CBCs) to their redshift. However, precise redshift measurements require identifying the host galaxy, achieved only for GW170817. The statistical dark sirens method overcomes this by associating each event with a probability distribution over potential host galaxies. As the number of detections increases, statistical uncertainties decrease, making systematic effects a key concern due to their potential to bias H₀. In this work, we investigate biases from incorrect modeling of the binary black hole (BBH) population, considering both mass distributions and merger rates. We simulate 100,000 events and their detection by the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA (LVK) network during O4. We test four mass models (power law + peak, spline, dip + break, and two peaks) and three merger rate prescriptions: (1 + z)^{2.7} and delayed models with τ = 1 and 5 Gyr. For each case, we estimate H₀ and its bias. We find that population mismodeling does not introduce significant systematic errors, supporting the robustness of dark sirens for cosmology.

 

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Additional Information

Attention! Some participants in ICTP-SAIFR activities have received email from fake travel agencies asking for credit card information. All communication with participants will be made by ICTP-SAIFR staff using an e-mail “@ictp-saifr.org”. We will not send any mailings about accommodation that require a credit card number or any sort of deposit. Also, if you are staying at Hotel Intercity the Universe Paulista, please confirm with the Uber/Taxi driver that the hotel is located at Rua Pamplona 83 in Bela Vista (and not in Jardim Etelvina).

BOARDING PASS: All participants, whose travel has been provided or will be reimbursed by ICTP-SAIFR, should bring the boarding pass  upon registration. The return boarding pass (PDF, if online check-in, scan or picture, if physical) should be sent to secretary@ictp-saifr.org by e-mail.

Visa information: Nationals from several countries in Latin America and Europe are exempt from tourist visa. Nationals from Australia, Canada and USA are required to apply for a tourist visa.

Accommodation: Participants, whose accommodation will be provided by the institute, will stay at Hotel Intercity the Universe Paulista. Hotel recommendations are available here.

Power outlets: The standard power outlet in Brazil is type N (two round pins + grounding pin). Some European devices are compatible with the Brazilian power outlets. US devices will require an adapter.

Poster presentation: Participants who are presenting a poster MUST BRING A PRINTED BANNER . The banner size should be at most 1 m (width) x 1,5 m (length). We do not accept A4 or A3 paper.

Badge: You will receive an identification badge upon registration, which must be used during the entire event. Without the badge, it may not be possible to enter the venue.

Security issues: Although São Paulo is a relatively safe city, be careful when using cellphones on the street, avoid isolated areas at night, and be aware when crossing the street that cars may not stop for pedestrians. Also, please do not leave valuable items like laptops unattended even for short breaks.