Search for a High Frequency Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves

寻找引力波的高频随机背景

• 批准号: 0456239
• 负责人: Adrian Melissinos
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Rochester
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-08-01 至 2009-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0456239&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Search; Frequency; Stochastic; Background; Gravitational

The goal of the work supported under this grant is to use LIGO to search for a background of gravitational radiation that originated in the Big Bang. An analogous background of electromagnetic origin was discovered fifty years ago, but it originated at a much later time in the evolution of the Universe. This search takes advantage of LIGO's high sensitivity at gravitational wave wavelengths that are sub-multiples of the interferometer arm length. In addition, at such wavelengths, the gravitational signal has a distinct spectral shape that can facilitate its identification in the presence of a much higher level of instrumental noise.The discovery of this effect would make possible a look at the earliest epoch of the cosmos and would drastically impact the understanding of our world. The analysis of the LIGO data to search for this effect requires algorithm development and large scale computing. This is ideal training for young scientists and students who thereby acquire skills valuable in all sectors of technology and of and its applications in our society.

这项工作的目标是利用LIGO来寻找起源于大爆炸的引力辐射背景。类似的电磁起源背景在50年前就被发现了，但它起源于宇宙演化的后期。这项研究利用了LIGO在引力波波长上的高灵敏度，这些波长是干涉仪臂长的约数。此外，在这样的波长下，引力信号具有独特的光谱形状，可以在存在更高水平的仪器噪声的情况下进行识别。这种效应的发现将使我们有可能看到宇宙的最早时期，并将极大地影响我们对世界的理解。分析LIGO数据以寻找这种效应需要算法开发和大规模计算。这是对青年科学家和学生的理想培训，他们因此获得了技术及其在我们社会中应用的所有部门的宝贵技能。