Shalini Sinha
Class of 2026Redmond, Washington
About
Hi! My name is Shalini, and my project is a research paper on the GW150914 black hole merger, focusing on estimating gravitational wave parameters. I chose this topic because I've always been interested in space, and I wanted to see if a career in space research is something I would like to pursue. I'm currently working to get my paper published in a student journal!Projects
- "GW150914 Black Hole Merger Gravitational Wave Parameters Estimation" with mentor Husni (Aug. 14, 2025)
Shalini's Symposium Presentation
Project Portfolio
GW150914 Black Hole Merger Gravitational Wave Parameters Estimation
Started May 29, 2025
Abstract or project description
Energetic astrophysical events such as black hole mergers generate gravitational waves that are detectable by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). This study analyzes the gravitational wave data of the black hole merger event GW150914 from LIGO to estimate parameters: chirp mass, mass ratio, individual black hole masses, luminosity distance, and geocentric time. Using the Bayesian inference and the Markow Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, four of the twelve event parameters were sampled. The inferred values align with those reported in official LIGO analyses, demonstrating that simplified Bayesian sampling can reasonably infer core merger properties using open-source gravitational wave data.