Next-generation gravitational-wave detectors and the nearby universe

The next generation of ground-based gravitational-wave detectors will revolutionize our view of the gravitational-wave sky. Not only will instruments like Cosmic Explorer and the Einstein Telescope allow us to peer to higher redshifts than ever before, they will allow us to study the "nearby" Universe (redshifts z <7) with unprecedented clarity. Whereas the Advanced LIGO experiment detected the binary black hole merger GW150914 with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 24, for instance, next-generation detectors would have witnessed this same event with an SNR of approximately 2000. This extreme sensitivity will enable precision studies of a host of astrophysical processes and environments, from the behavior of matter in the dense interiors of neutron stars, to the history of massive star formation, to the properties of globular clusters and the chemical enrichment of galaxies. In this talk, I will survey some of these topics, discussing what next-generation gravitational-wave detectors will teach us about the "nearby" Universe and what data analysis challenges we might face along the way.