Stanford Program in Support of LIGO

斯坦福大学支持 LIGO 的计划

• 批准号: 1404430
• 负责人: Robert Byer
• 金额: $ 330万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-12-15 至 2017-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1404430&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Stanford; Program; Support; LIGO

Gravitational waves were predicted almost 100 years ago in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, but they have not yet been detected due to the extreme sensitivity required. Examples of potential sources include interacting black holes, coalescing compact binary stellar systems, stellar collapses, and pulsars. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) was built to measure strains in the fabric of space-time that are produced by gravitational waves. However, the initial version was sensitive enough to see only a short way into the Cosmos. With completion of a recent upgrade, Advanced LIGO will soon become operational with ten times the sensitivity of LIGO. When it reaches design sensitivity, it should be able to detect gravity wave sources as far away as the Virgo cluster of galaxies and launch gravitational wave astronomy as a new window on the Universe. Stanford has a strong, multidisciplinary program in developing the technology for detectors such as LIGO. Participants include mechanical, electrical and control engineers, physicists and materials researchers. The program provides training for future scientists and engineers at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; it integrates basic scientific research with scientific education; and it develops and funds outreach programs that inform and educate the broader community.Stanford is engaged in research and development on gravitational wave detection for the LIGO program. Improved seismic isolation and alignment system platforms will be developed to enable higher sensitivity at low frequencies where ground vibrations currently limit sensitivity. Studies of the optics will remain an active area of research to reduce noise from thermally-driven mechanical fluctuations in their amorphous optical coatings, which is now predicted to limit the sensitivity of Advanced LIGO in its most sensitive frequency band around 1000 Hz. Investigations of the atomic structure of the amorphous coatings will focus on a better understanding of the microscopic mechanisms that cause mechanical loss, which results in excess thermal noise. The thrust of the proposed research is to reduce risk and facilitate the success of Advanced LIGO, and to enable an opening of gravitational wave astronomy.

引力波早在100年前就在爱因斯坦的广义相对论中被预测到，但由于需要极高的灵敏度，引力波还没有被探测到。潜在来源的例子包括相互作用的黑洞、合并紧凑的双星系统、恒星坍塌和脉冲星。激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）的建立是为了测量引力波产生的时空结构中的应变。然而，最初的版本足够灵敏，只能看到宇宙的一小段距离。随着最近一次升级的完成，先进的LIGO将很快以10倍于LIGO的灵敏度投入使用。当它达到设计灵敏度时，它应该能够探测到远至室女座星系团的重力波源，并将引力波天文学作为研究宇宙的新窗口。斯坦福大学在开发像LIGO这样的探测器技术方面拥有强大的多学科项目。参与者包括机械、电气和控制工程师、物理学家和材料研究人员。该项目为未来的科学家和工程师提供本科和研究生水平的培训；将基础科学研究与科学教育相结合；它还开发和资助外展项目，向更广泛的社区提供信息和教育。斯坦福大学正在为LIGO项目进行引力波探测的研究和开发。将开发改进的隔震和校准系统平台，以在目前地面振动限制灵敏度的低频下实现更高的灵敏度。光学研究将继续是一个活跃的研究领域，以减少非晶态光学涂层中热驱动的机械波动带来的噪音，现在预测这将限制高级LIGO在其最敏感的1000 Hz左右的频段的灵敏度。对非晶涂层原子结构的研究将集中在更好地理解导致机械损失的微观机制上，这导致了过量的热噪声。拟议研究的主旨是降低风险，促进高级LIGO的成功，并开启引力波天文学。