The Stanford Advanced Gravitational Wave Detector Research Program

斯坦福大学引力波探测小组正在直接支持由美国国家科学基金会支持的激光干涉仪引力波天文台(LIGO)项目。这项研究旨在开发以下领域的尖端技术：高功率激光；用于光学和镜面涂层的低吸收材料；高功率、高量子效率的光电探测器；先进的干涉仪配置；自适应光学；主动隔震以及反馈和控制系统。LIGO天文台正在投入使用，当它投入使用时，应该会让我们一瞥可能探测到的天文引力波源的范围。引力波源，如相互作用的黑洞、凝聚的致密双星系统、恒星崩塌、脉冲星和低质量X射线双星都是可能的探测对象。观测引力波信号将大大增强我们对宇宙的了解，需要性能更高的探测器来开发引力波天文学的潜力。斯坦福大学的研究计划旨在开发先进LIGO和未来引力波探测器运行所必需的技术。

The Stanford gravitational wave detection group is working in direct support of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project supported by the NSF. The research aims to develop cutting edge technologies in the areas of: high power lasers; low absorption materials for optics and mirror coatings; high-power high-quantum-efficiency photo-detectors; advanced interferometer configurations; adaptive-optics; active seismic isolation and feedback and control systems. The LIGO observatory is being commissioned and when operational should give us a glimpse of the range of astronomical gravitational wave sources that may be detectable. Gravitational wave sources such as interacting black holes, coalescing compact binary systems, stellar collapses, pulsars and low-mass x-ray binaries are all possible candidates for detection. Observing gravitational wave signals will significantly enhance our understanding of the Universe and detectors of higher performance are required to exploit the potential of gravitational wave astronomy. The Stanford research program is directed towards developing the technology essential to the operation of Advanced LIGO and future gravitational wave detectors.