Support for LIGO Data Analysis and Instrumentation Research at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

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Since detecting gravitational waves (GW) for the first time in 2015, efforts have shifted towards making NSF's Laser Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LGO) a part of multi-messenger astronomy observations that are changing our understanding of astrophysics and cosmology. In order to look farther and more precisely at the universe with gravitational wave observatories, advances in detector instrumentation and calibration must be pursued. The scientific payoff from such improvements will be enormous but extending the scientific reach of LIGO also becomes more challenging with every generation of GW detectors. This award supports research to improve the accuracy of the length response from the advanced LIGO detectors, so as to improve the wide-band response calibration of the detectors for incoming gravitational waves. At the same time, studies are supported to investigate and mitigate the effects of Newtonian Noise that are created through turbulent airflow or movement of masses in the vicinity of the detectors. In addition to its impact on our fundamental understanding of the Universe, the funded research is also a great opportunity to train graduate students in UTRGVs new Physics PhD program in GW research and strengthen the STEM workforce.With the upcoming O4 run of the LIGO detectors, the detection of other types of sources and even unknown ones is becoming more likely. With the goal of significantly increasing the science reach of the advanced detectors, the team will work on projects in the following major areas. Instrumentation: improvements in the area of the Photon Calibrators to determine the exact length response for the aLIGO interferometer configuration, in essence the calibration of the measured gravitational wave amplitude, by improving the Photon Calibrator (PCal) response through enhancements of the absolute power measurement and calibration of the PCal system and through improvements of the theoretical model of the gravitational wave calibration. Noise characterization: the development of a numerical model to generate realistic finely sampled temperature fields and run a full hydrodynamic simulation, to determine the frequency distribution of turbulent vortices, and to see how turbulent airflow acts back on the detector sensitivity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.