Gravitational wave astrophysics, Speaker Gijs Nelemans, Universiteit Nijmegen

With the detection of GW150914 gravitational ware research has changed gears from a promise of the future to a reality.

I will briefly discuss the detection of GW150914 and then show some of the prospects that this discovery and the (hopefully) many to come gives for astrophysics and the plans we have tot use them to do astrophysics and the plans we have to use them to do astrophysics. These include both the study of massive stars and neutron star/black hole formation as well as the implications of these mergers for the high-energy astrophysics, nucleosynthesis and galaxy formation. I will also discuss the importance of electro-magnetic follow-up observations of GW souces and the associated challenges.