LIGO Data Analysis and Gravitational Wave Astronomy

***9800111 finn该项目涉及引力波天文学的研究——预计将在未来几年开始对引力波观测进行解释——以及与LIGO实验引力波探测工作直接相关的数据分析问题。预计后一项研究工作将在LIGO科学合作的背景下进行。这项研究与以下方面的发展直接相关：“科学基准”，以统一评估目标科学方面的替代探测器设计；生成具有高斯统计量和规定功率谱密度的可扩展伪随机序列的技术，该功率谱密度可能包括任意尖锐的光谱特征（用于模拟LIGO接收器的高斯平稳噪声成分）；识别和描述非高斯平稳和非平稳仪器噪声统计特性的诊断技术，充分利用独立引力波探测器网络相关输出中存在的信息的数据分析算法，使用最大似然检验识别随机信号的数据分析算法，能够识别突发源或未知源的数据分析算法，以及贝叶斯数据分析算法，作为文献中已经探讨过的频率主义者算法的替代品。本文讨论的引力波天文学研究问题主要集中在非奇异源随机信号的源计算；从天体物理源的角度解释一般爆发源的观测结果；利用双星启发观测作为紧致双星中组成部分质量分布的普查，并作为哈勃常数和其他宇宙学参数可以测量的尺度；以及在LIGO中使用引力波观测来测试关于引力子“自旋”的其他引力理论的预测

***9800111FinnThis program addresses research in gravitational wave astronomy--the interpretation of gravitational wave observations that are anticipated to begin in the next several years--in addition to data analysis questions of direct relevance to the LIGO experimental gravitational wave detection effort. It is anticipated that the latter research efforts will be carried out in the context of the LIGO Science Collaboration. This research if of direct relevance to include development of: "science benchmarks" for the uniform assessment of alternative detector designs in terms of target science; techniques for generating extensible pseudo-random sequences with Gaussian statistics and a prescribed power spectral density that may include arbitrarily sharp spectral features (for simulating the Gaussian-stationary noise component of the LIGO receiver); diagnostics techniques for identifying and characterizing the statistical properties of non-Gaussian stationary and non-stationary instrumental noise, data analysis algorithms that exploit fully the information present in the correlated output of a network of independent gravitational wave detectors, data analysis algorithms for the identification of stochastic signals using maximum likelihood tests, data analysis algorithms capable of identifying burst sources or unknown origin, and Bayesian data analysis algorithms as alternatives to the Frequentist algorithms that have already been explored in the literature.Gravitational wave astronomy research problems addressed here focus on source calculations for stochastic signals arising from non-exotic sources; interpretation of observations of generic burst sources in terms of astrophysical sources; the use of binary inspiral observations as a census of the distribution of component masses in compact binaries and as a yardstick by which the Hubble constant and other cosmological parameters may be measured; and the use of gravitational wave observations in LIGO to test predictions of alternative theories of gravity regarding the "spin" of the graviton.***