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

继续运行LIGO实验室将在2009财年继续运行位于华盛顿州汉福德和路易斯安那州利文斯顿的LIGO天文台以及加州理工学院和麻省理工学院的相关科学计划？2013财年。这些工作包括：-维护和运行LIGO站点和干涉仪；-研究和开发，以支持先进的干涉仪技术，并在需要时为先进的LIGO提供潜在的后备方法；-仪器科学和数据分析和解释；-访客计划，该计划以前由单独的赠款提供部分资金，但将纳入拟议的计划；-扩大的教育推广计划，以充分利用LIGO的设施；-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目前在汉福德的两个LIGO观测站运行三台初始LIGO干涉仪。智力优势：LIGO促进了LIGO科学合作(LSC)的创建和发展，LSC由来自LIGO实验室和来自美国及海外55个外部机构的563多名研究人员组成。LSC的建立使LIGO得以广泛参与，并促进了美国实验重力研究的成长和发展。LSC和其他机构已经任命了新的教员，这些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。LSC将指导引力波研究，并确定改进技术水平的发展计划。广泛影响：LIGO实验室还将在四个实验室地点的每个地点建立其教育计划，向从小学到研究生的年轻人传达LIGO科学家所经历的兴奋。社区外展活动将扩大到包括新的示范和解释方案。LIGO与业界的合作将鼓励新的技术和应用，这些新技术和应用受到观测引力波所需的非常精确的测量的刺激。

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.