Research on Gravitational Wave Detectors

激光干涉引力波天文台（LIGO）由位于洛杉矶利文斯顿和华盛顿州汉福德的4公里基线干涉引力波探测器和位于汉福德的另一个2公里探测器组成。路易斯安那州立大学（LSU）是LIGO科学合作组织的成员，该组织已经开始使用LIGO探测器获取数据，并对其进行分析，寻找来自不同类型天体物理源的引力波。预计探测器将在2004年底至2005年初达到其设计灵敏度，届时将开始为期6个月或更长时间的科学运行。LIGO天文台调试的最后阶段和LIGO科学合作组织数据分析活动的初始阶段，LIGO的PI小组将致力于三个不同的关键方面：（1）LIGO探测器的角自由度的诊断和控制;（2）几个探测器表征项目（研究噪声的统计特性，引力波信号中双相干的存在，编目瞬态，改进引力波通道的校准）;以及（3）利用这些研究的结果作为数据分析工作中爆发和螺旋引力波信号的否决标准。该小组的结果将对提高探测器的灵敏度，了解所获得数据的质量和特征，以及进行数据分析寻找天体物理信号。该项目涉及教师，博士后，研究生和本科生在引力波天体物理学的前沿做研究。这项工作是动手实验工作，噪声源调查和数据分析技术的结合，将为该项目的本科生和研究生提供一个很好的学习经验，他们将能够在LIGO利文斯顿天文台本身进行研究，距离路易斯安那州立大学只有30英里。

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of 4 km baseline interferometric gravitational wave detectors in Livingston, LA and Hanford, WA, and an additional 2 km detector in Hanford. The LIGO Science Collaboration, of which Louisiana State University (LSU) is a member, has begun taking data with the LIGO detectors, and analyzing it looking for gravitational waves from different kinds of astrophysical sources. The detectors are expected to achieve their design sensitivity in late 2004-early 2005, when science runs 6 months or longer will begin.The PI's group at LSU will work on three different critical aspects of the final phase of the commissioning of the LIGO Observatories and the initial phase of data analysis activities of the LIGO Science Collaboration:(1) diagnostics and control of angular degrees of freedom in the LIGO detectors;(2) several detector characterization projects (studying statistical properties of thenoise, the presence of bicoherence in the gravitational wave signals, cataloging transients, improving calibration of the gravitational wave channel); and(3) using the results of these studies as veto criteria in the data analysis effort for bursts and inspiral gravitational wave signals.The group's results will contribute significantly to the improvement of the detectors' sensitivity, to the understanding of the quality and features of the data obtained, and to the data analysis looking for astrophysical signals. This project involves faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students doing research at the cutting edge of gravitational wave astrophysics. The work is a combination of hands-on experimental work, investigations of noise sources, and data analysis techniques that will provide a great learning experience for the undergraduate and graduate students in the project, who will be able to perform their research at the LIGO Livingston Observatory itself, only 30 miles from LSU.