Analysing the ringdown signal of black holes

Black holes that are newly formed in binary coalescences produce a "ringdown" gravitational-wave signal as they reach their final state. This signal encodes information about the mass and spin of the final object, and gives us a novel avenue to test Einstein's general theory of relativity. This project will combine the latest data from the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational wave detectors, with cutting edge analysis techniques to investigate the ringdown signal of newly formed black holes. In particular we will contribute to the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration analyses of new events, and investigate the potential for systematic effects to confound our tests of general relativity, both in current data and in future simulations.