Gravitational-Wave Inference from Binary Compact Objects

在未来几年，除了2016年2月宣布的第一次直接引力波探测之外，LIGO观测将为天体物理学中一些最长期存在的问题提供独特可靠的答案：在自然界中形成的双星系统中，黑洞的质量是多少？短硬伽马射线爆发的动力是什么？中子星星的最大质量是多少？它对极端密度的物质意味着什么？黑洞的旋转速度有多快？我们能否区分形成致密双星（黑洞或中子星）的不同天体物理环境？黑洞质量如何随着红移而演化，我们能从它们形成和合并之间的延迟时间中了解到什么？该基金支持的研究将引力波物理学与应用数学和天体物理建模结合起来。这项工作的重点是开发一个具体的框架，用于处理先进的LIGO探测的二进制紧凑对象合并。目标是提取最大的可用天体物理信息的二进制紧凑的对象与任何质量和自旋配置。具体而言，有以下两个主要研究项目作为目标：（一）使用先进的采样方法对致密物体聚结事件进行物理参数估计，目标是加速参数估计模拟和结果，使用最大物理现实性的波形，包括数值相关性波形，考虑到非高斯噪声，并改进电磁对应探测;（ii）计算由先进LIGO探测到的致密双星天体的天体物理模型，并利用LIGO观测结果来约束这些模型。此外，参与公共宣传活动的目的是加强天文学与引力波物理学之间的联系，重点是向公众解释引力波来源的项目。

In the coming years, beyond the first direct gravitational-wave detection that was announced in February 2016, LIGO observations will provide uniquely reliable answers to some of the most long-standing questions in astrophysics: e.g., What are the masses of black holes in binary systems formed in nature? What is the engine powering short-hard gamma-ray bursts? What is the maximum neutron star mass and what does it imply for matter at extreme densities? How fast do black holes spin? Can we distinguish between different astrophysical environments that form binary compact objects (black holes or neutron stars)? How do black-hole masses evolve with redshift and what can we learn about the delay times between their formation and their merger? The research supported by this grant couples gravitational-wave physics to applied mathematics and astrophysical modeling. The work focuses on developing a concrete framework for the processing of detections of binary compact object mergers by Advanced LIGO. The goals are to extract the maximal available astrophysical information for binaries with compact objects with any mass and spin configuration. Specifically the following two main research projects are targeted: (i) physical parameter estimation for compact-object coalescence events using advanced sampling methods, targeting the acceleration of parameter estimation simulations and results, using waveforms of maximal physical realism including numerical-relativity waveforms, accounting for non-Gaussian noise, and for improvements from electromagnetic counterpart detections; (ii) the calculation of astrophysical models of binary compact objects detected by Advanced LIGO and the use of LIGO observations to constrain such models. Furthermore, the involvement in public outreach activities is intended to strengthen the connection between astronomy and gravitational wave physics, by focusing on projects that explain the formation of the sources of these waves to the public.