The Construction of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (AdvLIGO)

【摘要】先进的LIGO MREFC建设引力波提供了一个前所未有的机会，可以从一个新的角度来看待宇宙，提供了其他任何方式都无法获得的天体物理学见解。高级LIGO ?AdvLIGO的目标是开拓引力波天文学的新领域。AdvLIGO是最初的激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）探测器的升级版，将在2008财年进行。2015财政年度。LIGO被设想为支持一系列改进仪器的基础设施，AdvLIGO将重新使用民用建筑、真空设备和环境监测系统，同时更换华盛顿州汉福德和洛杉矶利文斯顿天文台站点的探测器组件。AdvLIGO的设计是LIGO实验室研究和开发计划的产物，也是LIGO科学合作组织的重点努力，借鉴了最初的LIGO的经验。完整的AdvLIGO探测器由三个干涉仪组成：一个位于利文斯顿站点的4公里仪器，以及两个位于汉福德站点的4公里仪器。这些仪器经过集成和测试，当每个干涉仪能够在数小时内可靠地进入工作状态（“锁定”）时，主要项目目标得以实现。由加州理工学院作为负责信托机构的Caltech- mit LIGO实验室将执行该项目。LIGO科学合作组织（LSC）的其他成员，从加州理工学院/麻省理工学院转包，将参与所有阶段的工作。英国（科学技术设施委员会资助）和德国（马克斯普朗克研究所资助）提供了大量的资本设备和人力，补充了国家科学基金的资助。智力优势：AdvLIGO的灵敏度将比初始LIGO提高10倍以上，因此搜索量和潜在信号率将提高1000倍以上。可用带宽更大，频率响应可调，以解决引力波的天体物理来源的范围。根据目前的天体物理学知识，预计将会有频繁的引力波观测，从而允许对迄今为止无法进入的天体物理学、宇宙学和相对论进行广泛的探索。在黑洞附近的强场区域测试广义相对论将提供有助于推进数值相对论和引力理论的数据。AdvLIGO将与其他引力波探测器协同观测。由此产生的观测结果将补充现有光子和中微子天文台的观测结果，增加它们的覆盖范围，并对宇宙进行新的定性和定量理解。更广泛的影响：AdvLIGO是整个LSC的长期重点，包括全球46个机构和大约600名成员。从这个角度来看，实施AdvLIGO将直接支持因LIGO而产生的科学共同体。此外，LSC成员机构的教育和外展活动(包括LIGO实验室？引力波天文学的出现将极大地促进（这是一个非常活跃的项目），而通过将仪器科学推向基本极限而获得的观察宇宙的新视角，将激励一代年轻人将科学和工程的兴奋视为一种职业。

ABSTRACTAdvanced LIGO MREFC Construction Gravitational waves offer an unprecedented opportunity to see the universe from a new perspective, providing access to astrophysical insights that are available in no other way. Advanced LIGO?s (AdvLIGO) goal is to pioneer a new field of gravitational-wave astronomy. AdvLIGO is an upgrade to the initial Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors and will take place over FY 2008 ? FY 2015. LIGO was conceived as an infrastructure to support a series of improving instruments, and AdvLIGO will re-use the civil construction, vacuum equipment, and environmental monitoring system while replacing the detector components at the Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA observatory sites. The AdvLIGO design is the product of the LIGO Laboratory research and development program and the focused effort of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, informed by the experience from initial LIGO. The complete AdvLIGO detector consists of three interferometers: one 4-km instrument at the Livingston site, and two 4-km instruments at the Hanford site. The instruments are taken through integration and test, with the prime project objective met when each interferometer is capable of being brought reliably to an operational state (?locking?) for multi-hour periods. The Caltech-MIT LIGO Laboratory, with Caltech as the responsible fiduciary institution, will carry out the project. Other members of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), on subcontract from Caltech/MIT, will participate in all phases of the effort. The UK (Science and Technology Facilities Council funding) and Germany (Max Planck Institute funding) are contributing significant capital equipment and manpower, complementing the NSF funding.Intellectual merit: AdvLIGO will increase the sensitivity over initial LIGO by more than a factor of 10, and thus the volume searched and potential rate of signals by a factor of more than 1000. The available bandwidth is larger, and the frequency response tunable, to address a range of astrophysical sources of gravitational waves. It is anticipated from current astrophysical knowledge that there will be frequent observations of gravitational waves, allowing a broad exploration of heretofore inaccessible astrophysics, cosmology, and relativity. Tests of general relativity in the strong field region near black holes will provide data that will help advance numerical relativity and gravitational theory. AdvLIGO will observe in coordination with other gravitational-wave detectors. The resulting observations will complement those from existing photon and neutrino observatories, increasing their reach, and giving new qualitative and quantitative understanding of the cosmos.Broader impacts: AdvLIGO is the long-term focus of the entire LSC, including 46 institutions and roughly 600 members globally. In this light, implementing AdvLIGO will directly support a scientific community which came into being due to LIGO. In addition, LSC education and outreach activities of member institutions (including the LIGO Laboratory?s very active program) will be greatly enhanced by the onset of gravitational-wave astronomy -- and the new eye on the universe, achieved by pushing instrument science to fundamental limits, will inspire a generation of young people to consider the excitement of science and engineering as a career.