A study of transient noise sources in LIGO

路易斯安那大学（LSU）最近任命的助理教授和该奖项的首席研究员，与两位高级教员一起，正在领导激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）的一项新的研究工作。LIGO被设计成世界上最灵敏的引力辐射探测器，刚刚投入运行。LIGO位于两个相距很远的地点，一个在路易斯安那州的利文斯顿，另一个在华盛顿州的汉福德。利文斯顿基地距离路易斯安那州立大学校园约35英里。这个小组打算利用利文斯顿站点与路易斯安那州立大学校园的近距离来开发诊断工具，以提高和维持LIGO的灵敏度。该项目将沿着三条调查路线进行：利文斯顿LIGO干涉仪的在线诊断；该小组将在LIGO投入运行时使用LIGO的全球诊断系统，以获得对LIGO探测器组件的深入了解。该小组的目标是获得有关LIGO行为的信息，使LIGO能够作为可靠的仪器使用。瞬态噪声识别。LIGO的性能受到杂散信号或噪声的限制，这些信号或隐藏或模仿来自天体物理源的引力波信号。研究人员将建立一个设备来测量来自LIGO各种机械部件的瞬态噪声。先进的LIGO隔震系统。该小组将测试为下一代LIGO探测器开发的地震隔离系统的原型。该小组将包括在路易斯安那州立大学校园和LIGO现场进行研究的本科生和研究生。

A recently appointed Assistant Professor at Louisiana University (LSU) and Principal Investigator of this award, together with two senior faculty members, is leading a new research effort with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). LIGO is designed to be the world's most sensitive detector for gravitational radiation and is just coming into operation. LIGO is located at two widely separated sites, one in Livingston Louisiana, the other in Hanford Washington. The Livingston site is located about 35 miles from the LSU campus. This group intends to use the close proximity of the Livingston site to the LSU campus to develop diagnostic tools necessary to improve and sustain of the sensitivity of LIGO.The project will be directed along three lines of investigation:The on-line diagnostics of the LIGO interferometers at Livingston. This group will use LIGO's global diagnostic system as LIGO is brought into operation in order to gain an intimate knowledge of the LIGO detector components. The goal of the group is to gain the information about the behavior of LIGO that will enable LIGO to be used as a reliable instrument.Transient noise identification. LIGO' performance is limited by stray signals, or noise, that either hide or mimic a gravitational wave signal from astrophysical sources. The investigators will build a facility to measure the transient noise originating from various of the mechanical components of LIGO.Advanced LIGO seismic isolation system. The group will test prototypes of the seismic isolation systems being developed for the next generation of LIGO detectors. The group will involve undergraduates and graduate students in the research, both at Louisiana State University campus and at the LIGO site.