The Operation and Maintenance of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)

摘要LIGO继续运行LIGO实验室将在2009财年继续运行位于华盛顿汉福德和路易斯安那利文斯顿的LIGO天文台以及加州理工学院和麻省理工学院的相关科学项目。2013财政年度。这项工作包括：- LIGO站点和干涉仪的维护和运行，-支持先进干涉仪技术的研究和开发，并在需要时为先进的LIGO提供潜在的备份方法，-仪器科学和数据分析和解释，-之前由单独拨款部分资助的访客计划，但将被纳入拟议计划，-扩大教育推广计划，以充分利用LIGO设施——LIGO实验室在数据管理、信息技术支持和对LIGO科学合作的一般支持方面的贡献。LIGO目前正在位于华盛顿州汉福德和路易斯安那州利文斯顿的两个LIGO观测站运行三个最初的LIGO干涉仪。智力优势：LIGO促进了LIGO科学合作组织（LSC）的创建和发展，该组织由来自LIGO实验室和美国国内外55个外部机构的563多名研究人员组成。LSC的成立使LIGO得到了广泛的参与，促进了美国重力实验研究的增长和发展。LSC和其他机构在新兴的引力波天文学领域进行了重大的战略性智力投资，并任命了新的教员。LSC将指导引力波研究，并确定发展计划，以提高技术水平。更广泛的影响：LIGO实验室还将在四个实验室站点中的每一个建立其教育计划，将LIGO科学家的兴奋经历传达给从小学到研究生的年轻人。社区外展活动将扩展到包括新的示范和解说项目。LIGO与工业界的合作将鼓励新的技术和应用，这些技术和应用是由观测引力波所需的非常精确的测量所激发的。

ABSTRACTLIGO Continuing OperationsThe LIGO Laboratory will continue operation of the LIGO observatories at Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana and the associated science programs at Caltech and MIT over FY 2009 ? FY 2013. The effort includes:- The maintenance and operation of the LIGO sites and interferometers,- Research and development to support advanced interferometer technology and provide potential backup approaches for Advanced LIGO should the need arise,- Instrument science and the analysis and interpretation of data,- A visitors program that was previously partially funded by separate grants but which will be incorporated into the proposed program,- An expanded education outreach program to fully use the LIGO facilities,- Contributions by the LIGO Laboratory in data management, information technology support, and general support to the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.LIGO is currently operating the three initial LIGO interferometers at the two LIGO observatories in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana.Intellectual merit: LIGO fostered the creation and development of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), which consists of more than 563 researchers from the LIGO Laboratory and from 55 external institutions in the USA and abroad. The creation of the LSC has enabled broad participation in LIGO and promoted the growth and development of experimental gravity research in the USA. There have been new faculty appointments at LSC and other institutions that have made significant and strategic intellectual investments in the emerging field of gravitational-wave astronomy. The LSC will guide gravitational-wave research and define the developing program of improvements in the state of the art.Broader impacts: The LIGO Laboratory also will build upon its program of education at each of the four laboratory sites, communicating the excitement experienced by LIGO scientists to young people from elementary to graduate levels. Community outreach activities will be extended to include new demonstration and interpretive programs. LIGO collaboration with industry will encourage new technologies and applications stimulated by the extraordinarily precise measurements required for observing gravitational waves.