Gravitational-Wave Inference from Binary Compact Objects

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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.