Gravitational Waves from Compact Objects

激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）探测到了来自双黑洞的引力波，证实了爱因斯坦的预言，打开了一扇通往宇宙的全新窗口。引力波非常小，所以寻找引力波在数据分析、数学技术和计算方面都面临着巨大的挑战，此外还有建造和操作仪器的技术挑战。从理论上了解引力波的来源，如中子星和黑洞，也可以帮助指导搜索，并从搜索结果中了解这些物体。该奖项下的数据分析和理论工作将有助于将LIGO从原型仪器转变为探索物理学和天体物理学的工具，包括奇异粒子相的可能性和最极端条件下物质的复杂微物理学。特别是连续波信号将使我们直接看到中子星的内部，否则我们是无法进入的。随着它们多年的旋转，这些恒星可以告诉我们自大爆炸以来最极端条件下物质的性质：超核密度、相对论速度、超导性和一亿度的超流体。该奖项支持基于初始LIGO出版物中使用的德克萨斯理工大学小组代码，对连续引力波的高级LIGO数据进行匹配过滤搜索；并支持该代码的开发，以提高灵敏度和效率，允许更连续的引力波搜索，并隔离仪器人工制品。具体的科学目标是(1)对年轻的非脉冲中子星的定向搜索，(2)对具有异常引力波频率的已知脉冲星的窄带搜索，(3)专注于窄谱线的探测器特性描述，以及(4)对连续引力波（特别是中子星r模式）搜索的理论指导和解释。

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has detected gravitational waves from binary black holes, verifying Einstein's predictions and opening an entirely new window onto the universe. Gravitational waves are very small, so searching for them presents great challenges in data analysis, mathematical techniques, and computation on top of the technical challenges of building and operating the instruments. A theoretical understanding of the sources of gravitational waves, such as neutron stars and black holes, can also help guide searches as well as learn about these objects from the results of the searches. Both the data analysis and theory work under this award will help transform LIGO from a prototype instrument into a tool for exploring physics and astrophysics, including the possibility of exotic particle phases and the complicated microphysics of matter under the most extreme conditions. A continuous wave signal in particular will give a direct view into the otherwise inaccessible interiors of neutron stars. As they spin down over the years, these stars can tell us about the properties of matter under the most extreme conditions since the Big Bang: supernuclear densities, relativistic speeds, superconducting and superfluid at a hundred million degrees.This award supports the implementation of matched filtering searches of Advanced LIGO data for continuous gravitational waves based on the Texas Tech group's code used in Initial LIGO publications; and supports development of that code to improve sensitivity and efficiency, allow more continuous gravitational wave searches, and isolate instrumental artifacts. Specific science goals are (1) directed searches for young non-pulsing neutron stars, (2) narrow-band searches for known pulsars with unusual gravitational-wave frequencies, (3) detector characterization focusing on narrow spectral lines, and (4) theoretical guidance and interpretation of searches for continuous gravitational waves, particularly from neutron-star r-modes.