WoU-MMA: Enabling Multi-Messenger Astrophysics with Advanced LIGO: from Detector Characterization to Interpretation of Gravitational-Wave Signals

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This award supports research in relativity and relativistic astrophysics, and it addresses the priority areas of NSF's "Windows on the Universe" Big Idea. Multi-messenger astrophysics has established itself as a powerful new branch of science eight years after the first direct detection of a gravitational wave from an astrophysical source. Gravitational waves enable scientists to investigate the origins of the universe's most enigmatic objects, test the fundamental nature of gravity and matter in extreme conditions, and measure the universe's expansion rate. Simultaneously, gravitational-wave astrophysics has a significant impact on public perception of science and technology. The seemingly impossible observations of colliding black holes and neutron stars made possible by LIGO and its collaborators raise public awareness of US science and the National Science Foundation's leadership role. In this context, Missouri S&T researchers and students will continue to support LIGO's core mission and gravitational-wave astrophysics through scientific operation contributions, the development of improved analysis methods, and broader impact initiatives aimed at attracting young people from all socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities to science careers.The increased sensitivity of the LIGO detectors will result in an abundance of new observations. At the same time, this bounty of discoveries will create new challenges that will require a collaborative effort from the entire scientific community to resolve. During the course of this award, Missouri S&T researchers and students will conduct LIGO multimessenger astrophysics searches, perform detector characterization and calibration activities, assist with detector operations on site, and maintain and improve current analysis algorithms for online and offline gravitational-wave searches. Contributions to R&D will include developing and deploying new machine learning-based methods to characterize detector noise, accelerate the estimation of physical parameters from searches, and improve the interpretation of gravitational-wave signals. Missouri S&T's scientific operations will allow LIGO to operate effectively and continue to deliver impactful science during observing runs. R&D activities will improve LIGO's search pipelines and provide functional methods for extracting physical information from the detectors.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.