Toward Detection of Gravitational Waves with Enhanced LIGO and Advanced LIGO

激光干涉引力波天文台（LIGO）已达到设计灵敏度，并在该灵敏度下收集数据。灵敏度有所提高的增强型LIGO（eLIGO）将很快开始采集数据，而先进LIGO（AdvLIGO）的建设正在进行中，其灵敏度的提高使得频繁探测宇宙引力波的可能性很大。锡拉丘兹小组将把相当大的精力集中在eLIGO数据的快速分析上，以支持对引力波短爆发的搜索。LIGO科学合作组织的爆发小组设定了一个目标，即在30分钟或更短的时间内产生经过审查的候选爆发触发器。锡拉丘兹小组负责在与总体分析目标一致的时间尺度上产生可靠的数据质量和否决信息。这将使Burst Group能够识别由仪器伪影或环境干扰引起的错误触发，从而帮助识别可能记录的任何真正的引力波信号。这项工作还将使人们能够快速识别干涉仪的问题，以便及时修复。锡拉丘兹小组还将对高质量反射镜涂层的大角度光散射进行研究，这些反射镜涂层正在考虑用于先进LIGO或通过利用在先前支持下开发的桌面成像散射仪对其进行近期改进。锡拉丘兹小组的成员将继续为eLIGO干涉仪的调试做出贡献，并希望参与天文台的工作，为先进的LIGO干涉仪增加价值。锡拉丘兹大学将继续其培养本科生、研究生和博士后的悠久历史。该小组还将继续通过在布朗斯维尔的得克萨斯大学引力波天文学暑期学校向我们领域的新成员提供指导。PI正在锡拉丘兹大学开发一门关于振动、波光学的新课程，该课程将经常使用LIGO技术的例子，沿着其他项目，与更广泛的社区分享LIGO的兴奋。

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) has achieved design sensitivity and collected data at that sensitivity. Enhanced LIGO (eLIGO), with some improvement in sensitivity, will begin to take data soon, while construction of Advanced LIGO (AdvLIGO), whose improved sensitivity makes highly likely the frequent detection of cosmic gravitational waves, is underway. The Syracuse group will focus considerable effort on the rapid analysis of eLIGO data, in support of the search for short bursts of gravitational waves. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration's Burst Group has set a goal of producing vetted candidate burst triggers in 30 minutes or less. The Syracuse group has been charged with producing reliable data quality and veto information on a time scale consistent with the overall analysis goal. This will enable the Burst Group to recognize false triggers caused by instrument artifacts or environmental disturbances, and thus to help in recognizing any genuine gravitational wave signal that may be recorded. This work will also enable rapid recognition of problems with the interferometers, so that they can be fixed promptly. The Syracuse group will also carry out studies of the large-angle light scattering from high quality mirror coatings that are under consideration for use in Advanced LIGO or for near-term improvements to it by making use of a table-top imaging scatterometer developed under prior support. Members of the Syracuse group will continue to contribute to commissioning of the eLIGO interferometers and expect to participate in work at the Observatories that adds value to the Advanced LIGO interferometers. The Syracuse group will continue its long history of training undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs. The group will also continue to offer instruction to new members of our field through the Summer School on Gravitational Wave Astronomy at the University of Texas at Brownsville. The PI is developing a new course at Syracuse University on Vibrations, Waves & Optics that will make frequent integral use of examples from LIGO technology along with other projects to share the excitement of LIGO with the broader community.