Gravitational-Wave Inference from Binary Compact Objects

在未来的几年里，除了2016年2月宣布的第一次直接引力波探测之外，LIGO的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：例如，在自然界形成的双星系统中，黑洞的质量是多少？驱动短强度伽马射线爆发的引擎是什么？中子星的最大质量是多少？对于极端密度的物质，它意味着什么？黑洞旋转的速度有多快？我们能区分形成二元致密物体（黑洞或中子星）的不同天体物理环境吗？黑洞质量是如何随着红移而演化的，我们能从它们形成和合并之间的延迟时间中学到什么？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，用于处理高级LIGO对二元紧密天体合并的探测。目标是提取具有任何质量和自旋配置的致密天体的最大可用天体物理信息。具体而言，以下两个主要研究项目是有针对性的：(i)使用先进的采样方法对紧密物体合并事件进行物理参数估计，目标是参数估计模拟和结果的加速，使用最大物理真实感的波形，包括数字相对论波形，考虑非高斯噪声，并从电磁对偶检测中改进；（ii）计算高级LIGO探测到的二元致密天体的天体物理模型，并使用LIGO观测来约束这些模型。此外，参与公众宣传活动的目的是加强天文学和引力波物理学之间的联系，重点关注向公众解释引力波源形成的项目。

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.