Characterizing Transient Gravitational Waves

LIGO引力波探测器目前正在进行重大升级，目标是将灵敏度提高一个数量级。但探测引力波需要的不仅仅是激光、反射镜和光电二极管。另一个关键部件是信号处理，用于从仪器噪声中梳理出微弱的引力波信号。该奖项支持的研究旨在开发工具，以增强我们探测和表征瞬时引力波信号的能力。最初对引力波的搜索告诉我们，数据中的非高斯特征，如噪声瞬变或“故障”，会削弱我们检测微弱信号的能力。我们的目标是开发强大的新技术，帮助将引力波信号从仪器文物中分离出来。引力波的探测将使一系列科学问题得到解决。其中最重要的是探测到的信号是否符合爱因斯坦广义相对论的预测。该奖项将支持利用LIGO/Virgo数据识别偏离广义相对论的稳健技术的发展。LIGO项目为年轻的研究人员和学生提供了一个极好的机会，参与到一门新的观测科学的诞生中来，这门科学即将做出革命性的发现，并对宇宙中一些最奇异的现象提供独特的见解。该奖项支持的研究项目为研究生和本科生提供了巨大的机会：与开发复杂和创新的数据分析技术相关的创造性活动的结合，以及亲身体验运行现有搜索管道和使用生产级计算机代码，将为下一代引力波天文学家提供出色的培训。这些技能在其他领域是可以转移的，也是非常受欢迎的：蒙大拿州引力波天文学小组的应届毕业生已经找到了国家安全情报分析师的工作，并在生物信息学的医学研究领域找到了工作。

The LIGO gravitational wave detectors are currently undergoing a major upgrade, with the goal of improving the sensitivity by an order of magnitude. But it takes more than lasers, mirrors and photodiodes to detect gravitational waves. Another key component is the signal processing used to tease the faint gravitational wave signals out of the instrument noise. The research supported by this award seeks to develop tools that will enhance our ability to detect and characterize transient gravitational wave signals. The initial searches for gravitational waves have taught us that non-Gaussian features in the data, such as noise transients or ``glitches'', impair our ability to detect weak signals. Our goal is to develop powerful new techniques that can help separate gravitational wave signals from instrument artifacts. The detection of gravitational waves will allow a host of science questions to be addressed. Foremost among these will be whether the signals detected conform to the predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity. This award will support the development of robust techniques for identifying departures from general relativity using LIGO/Virgo data.The LIGO project presents young researchers and students with a wonderful opportunity to participate in the birth of a new observation science that is poised to make discoveries that will revolutionize astronomy and deliver unique insights into some of the Universe's most exotic phenomena. The research program supported by this award offers tremendous opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students: the blend of creative activities associated with the development of sophisticated and innovative data analysis techniques, combined with hands on exposure to running existing search pipelines and working with production level computer code will provide excellent training for the next generation of gravitational wave astronomers. These skills are transferable and highly sought after in other fields: recent graduates from the Montana State gravitational wave astronomy group have found employment as national security intelligence analysts and in the medical research field of bioinfomatics.