Mississippi participation in LIGO's search for gravitational waves

激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）是为观测中高频引力波而设计的。恒星质量致密天体和黑洞的吸入和合并是探测的主要候选源。该奖项为密西西比大学（UMISS）小组的LIGO研究活动提供支持。UMISS小组在数据分析、探测器表征和外展等领域为LIGO的工作做出了贡献。所支持的项目侧重于这些领域。其主要目标是：(1)研究不同仪器和基于信号的建议否决在当前和未来搜索中的影响，并开发和实施这些研究可能产生的可能的优化方法；(2)对LIGO天文台环境干扰的调查和缓解作出贡献；(3)通过编写教育材料和协调密西西比州的LIGO外展活动，为LIGO外展计划做出贡献。该计划的一个理论组成部分侧重于通过增强和先进的LIGO可能检测到铃声信号和奇异的紧凑物体。这些研究将为提取天体物理信息和用下一代LIGO探测器测试基础物理学铺平道路。拟议的研究将通过对LIGO的贡献，成功地为LIGO的近期、中期和长期科学目标做出贡献。世界上首次探测到引力波，并深入探索LIGO？这是美国测量天体物理参数和测试引力基本性质的潜力。这个项目更广泛的影响是在美国一个基础科学参与度低于全国平均水平的地理区域增加研究和教育机会。这个项目将扩大密西西比？美国将参与LIGO科学合作项目，并将在地方和区域范围内为公众推广活动创造新的机会。

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is designed to observe gravitational waves in the intermediate-high frequency regime. Inspiral and merger of stellarmass compact objects and black holes are leading candidate sources for detection. This award provides support for the LIGO research activities of the University of Mississippi (UMISS) group. The UMISS group contributes to LIGO efforts in the areas of data analysis, detector characterization, and outreach. The supported program focuses on these areas. Its main goals are: (1) Investigate the effect of different instrumental and signal-based proposed vetoes in current and future searches and to develop and implement possible optimization methods that may result from these studies; (2) Contribute to the investigation and mitigation of environmental disturbances at the LIGO Observatories; (3) Contribute to the LIGO outreach program by developing educational material and coordinating LIGO outreach activities in Mississippi. A theoretical component of this program focuses on the possible detection of ringdown signals and exotic compact objects by Enhanced and Advanced LIGO. These investigations will pave the way to extract astrophysical information and test fundamental physics with next-generation LIGO detectors.The proposed research will successfully contribute to LIGO near-, intermediate- and longterm science goals by contributing to LIGO?s efforts in achieving the first-ever detection of a gravitational-wave and by exploring in depth LIGO?s potential for measuring astrophysical parameters and testing the fundamental nature of gravitation. The broader impact of this project is to increase research and educational opportunities in a geographical region of the United States where engagement in basic sciences is below national average. This project will expand Mississippi?s involvement in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and will create new opportunities for public outreach initiatives at local and regional scale.