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外一个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之一，该组织已经开始利用LIGO探测器收集数据，并对其进行分析，寻找来自不同天体物理来源的引力波。这些探测器预计将在2004年末至2005年初达到设计灵敏度，届时科学研究将开始进行6个月或更长时间的研究。LSU的PI小组将在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进行三个不同的关键方面的工作：(1)诊断和控制LIGO探测器的角度自由度；(2)多个探测器表征项目（研究噪声的统计特性、引力波信号的双相干性、瞬态编目、改进引力波通道的校准）；(3)将这些研究结果作为爆发和激发引力波信号数据分析工作的否决标准。该小组的研究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、以及寻找天体物理信号的数据分析做出重大贡献。该项目涉及教师、博士后、研究生和本科生，他们在引力波天体物理学的前沿领域进行研究。这项工作结合了动手实验工作、噪声源调查和数据分析技术，将为该项目的本科生和研究生提供一个很好的学习经验，他们将能够在距离路易斯安那州立大学仅30英里的LIGO利文斯顿天文台进行他们的研究。

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.