Investigations of Thermal Noise in Mirror Coatings and Optic Materials for Advanced LIGO, and Investigations of Higher-Order Statistical Noise in Initial LIGO

该奖项支持对光学材料和涂层的热和机械噪声的研究，这些材料和涂层被考虑用于下一代激光干涉引力波天文台(高级LIGO)。高级LIGO的测试块将由蓝宝石或熔融二氧化硅制成。在大多数标准下，蓝宝石在机械上是优越的，但在低频下损失增加，目前光吸收高得令人无法接受。熔融二氧化硅的吸收率低，机械损耗低于高级LIGO设计极限。然而，这种低机械损失从未在大样本中看到过。PI将与LIGO的其他科学家合作，研究熔融二氧化硅中的损耗机制，以努力制造大型、低损耗的光学元件。LIGO和高级LIGO旨在搜索引力波，其直接探测将打开一扇新的窗口，了解宇宙中一些最猛烈的事件，如黑洞碰撞和超新星爆炸。这项研究构成了高级LIGO发展的关键路径的一部分。本科生将参与这项研究。

This award supports research into the thermal and mechanical noise of optical materials and coatings considered for use by the next generation of the Laser Interferometric Gravitational wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO). The test masses for Advanced LIGO are to be made from either sapphire or fused silica. Sapphire is mechanically superior under most criteria but suffers from increased loss at low frequencies and, at present, unacceptably high optical absorption. Fused silica has low absorption and has a mechanical loss that, for suitably prepared samples, is below the Advanced LIGO design limits. However, this low mechanical loss has never been seen in large samples. The PI in collaboration with other LIGO scientists will study loss mechanisms in fused silica in an effort to make large, low loss optics.LIGO and Advanced LIGO are designed to search for gravitational waves whose direct detection would open a new window on some of the universe's most violent events such as black hole collisions and supernova explosions. This research forms part of the critical path to the development of Advanced LIGO. Undergraduates will participate in this research.