Gravitational Waves from Compact Objects

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该奖项支持激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）对引力波的新搜索的开发和实施，以及对新的和正在进行的搜索的天体物理学指导和解释。新的搜索集中在最年轻的中子星和最快速增长的中子星上，它们可能是连续引力波的最强来源。这些信号最终将提供对中子星内部结构最精确的直接测量，并阐明超核密度下物质的物理学。将LIGO的结果与天文观测和天体物理理论联系起来，将直接提高连续波搜索的灵敏度，例如通过精确定位可能的源位置。这将进一步推动LIGO从一个设置孤立上限的原型仪器转变为探索中子星物理和天体物理的工具，并扩大LIGO对天体物理和核物理学界的影响。大部分工作是与澳大利亚ACIGA和LIGO科学合作组织的英德GEO600特遣队共同完成的，加强了引力物理界的国际合作。该奖项还将支持能够在引力物理、天体物理和核物理之间的界面工作的学生的教育和研究培训。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This award supports development and implementation of new searches for gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), as well as astrophysical guidance for and interpretation of new and ongoing searches. The new searches focus on the youngest neutron stars and the most rapidly accreting neutron stars, which are likely to be the strongest sources of continuous gravitational waves. Such signals will ultimately provide the most precise direct measurements of the structure of neutron star interiors and shed light on the physics of matter at super-nuclear densities.Connecting LIGO results to astronomical observations and astrophysical theory will directly increase the sensitivity of continuous wave searches, for example by pinpointing likely locations of sources. This will further LIGO's transformation from a prototype instrument setting isolated upper limits into a tool for exploring the physics and astrophysics of neutron stars, and broaden LIGO's impact on the astrophysics and nuclear physics communities. Much of the work is done in concert with the Australian ACIGA and British-German GEO600 contingents of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, strengthening international cooperation in the gravitational physics community. This award will also support education and research training of students who can work on the interfaces between gravitational physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics.