A study of transient noise sources in LIGO

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A recently appointed Assistant Professor at Louisiana University (LSU) and Principal Investigator of this award, together with two senior faculty members, is leading a new research effort with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). LIGO is designed to be the world's most sensitive detector for gravitational radiation and is just coming into operation. LIGO is located at two widely separated sites, one in Livingston Louisiana, the other in Hanford Washington. The Livingston site is located about 35 miles from the LSU campus. This group intends to use the close proximity of the Livingston site to the LSU campus to develop diagnostic tools necessary to improve and sustain of the sensitivity of LIGO.The project will be directed along three lines of investigation:The on-line diagnostics of the LIGO interferometers at Livingston. This group will use LIGO's global diagnostic system as LIGO is brought into operation in order to gain an intimate knowledge of the LIGO detector components. The goal of the group is to gain the information about the behavior of LIGO that will enable LIGO to be used as a reliable instrument.Transient noise identification. LIGO' performance is limited by stray signals, or noise, that either hide or mimic a gravitational wave signal from astrophysical sources. The investigators will build a facility to measure the transient noise originating from various of the mechanical components of LIGO.Advanced LIGO seismic isolation system. The group will test prototypes of the seismic isolation systems being developed for the next generation of LIGO detectors. The group will involve undergraduates and graduate students in the research, both at Louisiana State University campus and at the LIGO site.