Correlating the Gravitational Wave and Electromagnetic Sky Maps

关联引力波和电磁天空图

• 批准号: 2308486
• 负责人: Claudia Scarlata
• 金额: $ 18万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2026-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2308486&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Correlating; Gravitational; Wave; Electromagnetic; Sky

Recent detections of gravitational waves (GWs) from the mergers of binary black hole (BBH), binary neutron star (BNS), and black hole-neutron star (BHNS) systems have initiated the fields of GW and multi-messenger astrophysics. Nearly 100 such systems have been observed to date. Advanced GW detectors are expected to further improve their sensitivities, and to conduct extended observing runs in the next 3-5 years. One of the primary targets of these upcoming runs is the detection of the stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) that arises by summing up GWs from all merging BBH, BNS, and BHNS systems in the universe. This project will promote the study of the SGWB into a new probe of the formation of structure in the universe. It will do so by correlating the SGWB measurements with electromagnetic (EM) observations, such as observations of the galaxy distribution on the sky or gravitational weak lensing. The project will enable strong participation of both undergraduate and graduate students in high-visibility studies in this emerging field, and it will promote participation of women and underrepresented minorities through a series of research and outreach activities and initiatives at the University of Minnesota and more broadly. The project will develop two formalisms to measure correlations of SGWB anisotropy with EM tracers of the large scale structure in the universe. One formalism will build on the existing cross-correlation techniques to measure anisotropy in the GW energy density. The other will leverage existing parameter estimation pipelines for compact binary mergers, hence dramatically (~1000x) increasing the sensitivity to the SGWB due to such mergers. The two formalisms will be applied to the data acquired in the upcoming fourth and fifth observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. They will also take advantage of the upcoming Euclid survey that will revolutionize the understanding of the galaxy distribution on the largest scales. Combining these premier data sets, of both GW and EM flavors, with the state-of-the-art analysis pipelines will result in orders-of-magnitude more sensitive SGWB-EM correlation measurements, with a potential to detect such correlations for the first time and start constraining astrophysical and cosmological models. The project will bring together GW astrophysicists and traditional astronomers, and will serve to strengthen the connections between the two communities. Students participating in the project will have unique opportunities to closely work with experts in both GW and traditional astronomy communities, and to play leading roles in defining the emerging new astrophysics and cosmology probes. The project will also bring together experts across the world, specifically from Europe, India, and the United States, hence strengthening the ties across the international scientific community. As the team includes 50% women, a strong effort will be made to promote involvement of women in astrophysics by connecting with appropriate groups and organizations at the University of Minnesota and participating in their activities, meetings, and visits to local schools.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.

近年来对双黑洞（BBH）、双中子星（BNS）和黑洞-中子星（BHNS）系统并合引力波（GWs）的探测开启了双黑洞和多信使天体物理学的研究领域。到目前为止，已经观测到近100个这样的星系。先进的GW探测器有望进一步提高其灵敏度，并在未来3-5年内进行延长的观测运行。这些即将到来的运行的主要目标之一是检测随机引力波背景（SGWB），它是通过总结宇宙中所有合并的BBH， BNS和BHNS系统的gw而产生的。该项目将推动对SGWB的研究成为对宇宙结构形成的新探索。它将通过将SGWB测量与电磁（EM）观测相关联来做到这一点，例如对天空中星系分布或引力弱透镜的观测。该项目将使本科生和研究生能够大力参与这一新兴领域的高知名度研究，并将通过明尼苏达大学和更广泛的范围内的一系列研究和推广活动和倡议促进妇女和代表性不足的少数民族的参与。该项目将开发两种形式来测量SGWB各向异性与宇宙中大尺度结构的EM示踪剂的相关性。一种形式将建立在现有的互相关技术的基础上，以测量GW能量密度的各向异性。另一个将利用现有的紧凑双星合并的参数估计管道，因此，由于这种合并，对SGWB的灵敏度显著（~1000倍）提高。这两种形式将应用于即将到来的第四次和第五次高级LIGO和高级处女座探测器观测中获得的数据。他们还将利用即将到来的欧几里得调查，这将彻底改变对最大尺度星系分布的理解。将这些GW和EM类型的主要数据集与最先进的分析管道相结合，将产生数量级更敏感的SGWB-EM相关性测量，并有可能首次检测到这种相关性，并开始限制天体物理和宇宙学模型。该项目将汇集华盛顿大学天体物理学家和传统天文学家，并将有助于加强两个社区之间的联系。参与该项目的学生将有独特的机会与乔治华盛顿大学和传统天文学界的专家密切合作，并在定义新兴的天体物理学和宇宙学探测器方面发挥主导作用。该项目还将汇集世界各地的专家，特别是来自欧洲、印度和美国的专家，从而加强国际科学界的联系。由于团队中有50%是女性，因此将通过与明尼苏达大学的适当团体和组织建立联系，并参加他们的活动、会议和访问当地学校，努力促进女性参与天体物理学。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。