Search for a High Frequency Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves

该基金支持的工作目标是使用LIGO来搜索起源于大爆炸的引力辐射背景。一个类似的电磁起源背景在50年前就被发现了，但它起源于宇宙进化的一个晚得多的时期。这次搜索利用了LIGO在引力波波长上的高灵敏度，引力波波长是干涉仪臂长的几倍。此外，在这样的波长上，引力信号具有独特的光谱形状，可以在仪器噪声水平高得多的情况下便于识别。这一效应的发现将使我们有可能看到宇宙最早的时代，并将极大地影响我们对世界的理解。分析LIGO数据以寻找这种效应需要算法开发和大规模计算。这是对青年科学家和学生的理想培训，他们因此获得在所有技术部门及其在我们社会中的应用中有价值的技能。

The goal of the work supported under this grant is to use LIGO to search for a background of gravitational radiation that originated in the Big Bang. An analogous background of electromagnetic origin was discovered fifty years ago, but it originated at a much later time in the evolution of the Universe. This search takes advantage of LIGO's high sensitivity at gravitational wave wavelengths that are sub-multiples of the interferometer arm length. In addition, at such wavelengths, the gravitational signal has a distinct spectral shape that can facilitate its identification in the presence of a much higher level of instrumental noise.The discovery of this effect would make possible a look at the earliest epoch of the cosmos and would drastically impact the understanding of our world. The analysis of the LIGO data to search for this effect requires algorithm development and large scale computing. This is ideal training for young scientists and students who thereby acquire skills valuable in all sectors of technology and of and its applications in our society.