The Construction of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (AdvLIGO)

先进的LIGO MREFC结构引力波提供了一个前所未有的机会，可以从一个新的角度看待宇宙，提供了获得其他方式无法获得的天体物理见解的途径。S的目标是开创引力波天文学的一个新领域。AdvLIGO是对最初的激光干涉仪引力波天文台(LIGO)探测器的升级，将于2008财年进行？2015财年。LIGO被设想为一个基础设施，以支持一系列改进的仪器，AdvLIGO将重复使用民用建筑、真空设备和环境监测系统，同时更换华盛顿州汉福德和洛杉矶利文斯顿天文台的探测器组件。AdvLIGO的设计是LIGO实验室研发计划的产物，也是LIGO科学合作的重点努力的成果，从最初的LIGO的经验中得到了启发。完整的AdvLIGO探测器由三个干涉仪组成：一个位于利文斯顿站点的4公里仪器，以及两个位于汉福德站点的4公里仪器。仪器通过集成和测试，当每个干涉仪能够可靠地进入工作状态(锁定)时，达到了主要的项目目标。对于多个小时的时段。加州理工学院-麻省理工学院LIGO实验室将实施该项目，加州理工学院是负责任的受托机构。LIGO科学合作(LSC)的其他成员，从加州理工/麻省理工学院分包，将参与这项工作的所有阶段。英国(科学和技术设施委员会资助)和德国(马克斯·普朗克研究所资助)提供了大量的资本、设备和人力，补充了NSF的资助。智力优势：AdvLIGO将使初始LIGO的敏感度提高10倍以上，从而使搜索量和潜在信号率提高1000倍以上。可用的带宽更大，频率响应可调，以解决引力波的一系列天体物理来源。根据目前的天体物理知识，预计将会有对引力波的频繁观测，从而允许对迄今无法接触到的天体物理学、宇宙学和相对论进行广泛的探索。在黑洞附近的强场区域进行广义相对论测试将提供有助于推进数值相对论和引力理论的数据。AdvLIGO将与其他引力波探测器协同观测。由此产生的观测结果将补充现有的光子和中微子观测站的观测结果，扩大它们的覆盖范围，并对宇宙有新的定性和定量的了解。广泛的影响：AdvLIGO是整个LSC的长期重点，包括46个机构和全球大约600名成员。在这种情况下，实施AdvLIGO将直接支持由于LIGO而形成的科学社区。此外，引力波天文学的出现将极大地加强LSC教育和成员机构(包括LIGO实验室-S非常活跃的计划)的外联活动-通过将仪器科学推向根本极限而实现的对宇宙的新视角，将激励一代年轻人将科学和工程作为职业。

ABSTRACTAdvanced LIGO MREFC Construction Gravitational waves offer an unprecedented opportunity to see the universe from a new perspective, providing access to astrophysical insights that are available in no other way. Advanced LIGO?s (AdvLIGO) goal is to pioneer a new field of gravitational-wave astronomy. AdvLIGO is an upgrade to the initial Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors and will take place over FY 2008 ? FY 2015. LIGO was conceived as an infrastructure to support a series of improving instruments, and AdvLIGO will re-use the civil construction, vacuum equipment, and environmental monitoring system while replacing the detector components at the Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA observatory sites. The AdvLIGO design is the product of the LIGO Laboratory research and development program and the focused effort of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, informed by the experience from initial LIGO. The complete AdvLIGO detector consists of three interferometers: one 4-km instrument at the Livingston site, and two 4-km instruments at the Hanford site. The instruments are taken through integration and test, with the prime project objective met when each interferometer is capable of being brought reliably to an operational state (?locking?) for multi-hour periods. The Caltech-MIT LIGO Laboratory, with Caltech as the responsible fiduciary institution, will carry out the project. Other members of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), on subcontract from Caltech/MIT, will participate in all phases of the effort. The UK (Science and Technology Facilities Council funding) and Germany (Max Planck Institute funding) are contributing significant capital equipment and manpower, complementing the NSF funding.Intellectual merit: AdvLIGO will increase the sensitivity over initial LIGO by more than a factor of 10, and thus the volume searched and potential rate of signals by a factor of more than 1000. The available bandwidth is larger, and the frequency response tunable, to address a range of astrophysical sources of gravitational waves. It is anticipated from current astrophysical knowledge that there will be frequent observations of gravitational waves, allowing a broad exploration of heretofore inaccessible astrophysics, cosmology, and relativity. Tests of general relativity in the strong field region near black holes will provide data that will help advance numerical relativity and gravitational theory. AdvLIGO will observe in coordination with other gravitational-wave detectors. The resulting observations will complement those from existing photon and neutrino observatories, increasing their reach, and giving new qualitative and quantitative understanding of the cosmos.Broader impacts: AdvLIGO is the long-term focus of the entire LSC, including 46 institutions and roughly 600 members globally. In this light, implementing AdvLIGO will directly support a scientific community which came into being due to LIGO. In addition, LSC education and outreach activities of member institutions (including the LIGO Laboratory?s very active program) will be greatly enhanced by the onset of gravitational-wave astronomy -- and the new eye on the universe, achieved by pushing instrument science to fundamental limits, will inspire a generation of young people to consider the excitement of science and engineering as a career.