Elder, Jamee (2024) Theory-mediated detection of novel phenomena in astrophysics: the case of the photon ring. In: UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

This paper examines the opportunities and pitfalls of theory-mediated measurement in astrophysics. I locate the main danger not in the use of models of the target phenomena, but rather in the methodological context where these models are deployed. To illustrate this, I zoom in on a recent controversy among astronomers concerning attempts to detect the photon ring. I provide an account of what went wrong in this ``detection'' in conversation with other cases of (attempted) theory-mediated detection of novel phenomena in astrophysics---in particular, the retracted gravitational-wave detection claim by BICEP2 and the successful gravitational-wave detection claim by LIGO-Virgo.

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Elder, Jamee jamee.elder@gmail.com 0000-0002-1482-5682
Keywords:	black holes, photon ring, measurement, detection, experiment, event horizon telescope, astrophysics
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics General Issues > Evidence General Issues > Experimentation Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory General Issues > Theory/Observation
Depositing User:	Jamee Elder
Date Deposited:	14 Dec 2024 13:09
Last Modified:	14 Dec 2024 13:09
Item ID:	24400
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics General Issues > Evidence General Issues > Experimentation Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory General Issues > Theory/Observation
Date:	2024
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/24400

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