CAREER: Probing Astrophysics Frontiers With Gravitational Wave Bursts

职业：利用引力波爆发探索天体物理学前沿

• 批准号: 0955773
• 负责人: Laura Cadonati
• 金额: $ 70万
• 依托单位: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0955773&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Probing; Astrophysics; Frontiers; Gravitational

This CAREER award will focus on methods for detecting gravitational waves in LIGO data especially gravitational wave bursts (GWBs), transient signals with a broad range of possible astrophysical sources. GWB detection is pursued with minimal assumptions on the source and the signal morphology: this offers the intriguing possibility of serendipitous discoveries, but also the challenges of interpreting an unmodeled result and extracting its science. The PI will build on past experience to establish a robust program in GWB science, with two components, both timely for LIGO. 1) GWB Science in Enhanced LIGO. The PI's group will have a lead role in the prompt analysis of Enhanced LIGO data (collected during 2009-2010) and in the achievement of high confidence in a potential GWB detection, understanding and suppressing the rate of noise transients that constitute the ultimate sensitivity limit for LIGO. This effort will provide input from the analysis to detector experts and devise software remedies when noise sources cannot be found or fixed. 2) Preparing for Advanced LIGO and gravitational wave astronomy with GWBs. In the longer term, the group will implement techniques of parameter estimation and interpretation of GWB detections, in collaboration with numerical relativity and source modeling experts, to maximize the science output from the start of Advanced LIGO (in approximately 2014). In addition, the group will participate in multi-messenger observations with electromagnetic and neutrino counterparts. Gravitational waves are a new science frontier. These tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime, predicted by the Theory of General Relativity, carry information from the most catastrophic and mysterious events in our universe: the birth and death of a star, the collision of black holes and the Big Bang. As LIGO makes steady progress towards its Advanced configuration, and in the anticipation of detection, gravitational wave scientists, numerical relativists and astrophysicists are joining forces and preparing for a new era of gravitational wave astronomy: a multi-disciplinary approach is crucial for the success of the gravitational wave program. Graduate student training is integrant part of this proposal, on three fronts. In the next five years the PI will: (1) supervise graduate students, active in LIGO core science, in her group and as task leader in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC); (2) establish a mentoring program to support scientific and professional development of graduate students across the LSC, with the support of the LIGO Academic Advisory Council, of which she is member; (3) design a new course on introductory data analysis techniques for UMass graduate students and advanced undergraduates in astrophysics and particle physics. For a broader outreach, this outreach will also support the deployment of a program on supernovae, black holes and gravitational waves, with lectures and hands-on activities. This will add an astrophysics component to UMass STEM activities like the after-school STEM-RAY and the Saturday Seminar series for teachers. The program will be brought to K-12 classrooms and girl scout troops in Western Massachusetts, to encourage the interest of girls in science. Students and postdocs will be engaged in the preparation and delivery of this outreach, for a mutual learning experience.

这个CAREER奖将专注于在LIGO数据中探测引力波的方法，特别是引力波爆发（GWB），具有广泛可能的天体物理源的瞬态信号。GWB检测是在对源和信号形态的假设最少的情况下进行的：这提供了偶然发现的有趣可能性，但也带来了解释未建模结果和提取其科学的挑战。PI将根据过去的经验建立一个强大的GWB科学计划，包括两个组成部分，都是LIGO的及时组成部分。1)增强型LIGO中的GWB科学PI的团队将在对增强型LIGO数据（2009-2010年期间收集的）的及时分析以及在潜在GWB检测中实现高置信度，理解和抑制构成LIGO最终灵敏度极限的噪声瞬变率方面发挥主导作用。这项工作将为探测器专家提供分析输入，并在无法找到或修复噪声源时设计软件补救措施。2)准备先进的LIGO和引力波天文学与GWB。从长远来看，该小组将与数值相对论和源建模专家合作，实施GWB探测的参数估计和解释技术，以最大限度地提高Advanced LIGO开始时的科学产出（大约在2014年）。此外，该小组将与电磁和中微子同行一起参与多信使观测。 引力波是一个新的科学前沿。广义相对论预言的时空结构中的这些微小涟漪，携带着我们宇宙中最灾难性和最神秘的事件的信息：星星的诞生和死亡，黑洞的碰撞和大爆炸。随着LIGO朝着其高级配置稳步前进，并在探测的预期中，引力波科学家，数值相对论家和天体物理学家正在联手为引力波天文学的新时代做准备：多学科方法对于引力波计划的成功至关重要。 研究生培训是这一建议的组成部分，在三个方面。在接下来的五年里，PI将：（1）监督研究生，活跃在LIGO核心科学中，在她的团队中，并作为LIGO科学合作组织（LSC）的任务负责人;（2）在LIGO学术咨询理事会的支持下，建立一个指导计划，以支持整个LSC的研究生的科学和专业发展，她是其中的一员;（3）为麻省大学天体物理学和粒子物理学的研究生和高级本科生设计一门介绍数据分析技术的新课程。为了更广泛的推广，这项推广活动还将支持部署一个关于超新星、黑洞和引力波的计划，包括讲座和实践活动。这将增加天体物理学的组成部分，以马萨诸塞州干活动，如课后干射线和周六研讨会系列教师。该计划将被带到马萨诸塞州西部的K-12教室和女童军部队，以鼓励女孩对科学的兴趣。学生和博士后将参与准备和提供这一推广活动，以获得相互学习的经验。