The CGWA in the Era of Multimessenger Astronomy

引力波天文学中心（CGWA）于2007年在德克萨斯大学布朗斯维尔成立，是NSF科学技术卓越研究中心（CREST）。 第二阶段中心将开创一个新时代，大大扩大和改善其教育和研究活动。自成立以来，CGWA已成为激光干涉引力波天文台（LIGO）科学合作组织（LSC）的主要成员，该组织由来自30多个机构和13个国家的800名科学家组成，旨在首次直接探测引力波，并将其用作宇宙的新窗口。在接下来的五年里，CGWA将参与天文学中常规进行的引力波观测研究。这个新时代也迎来了一个新的多学科方法来研究天体物理现象，称为多信使天文学。 CGWA将开展理论和实验研究活动，寻求通过使用光学和射电天文学的独立观测来补充引力波探测。拟议的研究包括：㈠天体物理学，与UTB的新的高级射电天文学中心合作，力求将引力波观测与电磁观测和天体物理学演化理论联系起来; ㈡数据分析，重点是改进搜索引力波的方法，然后可将其用作电磁观测的触发器;以及（iii）探测器仪器，侧重于探测器的各个子系统及其噪声限制性能，目标是为下一代引力波探测器的概念和设计提供科学指导。天体物理学子项目支持多信使天文学，其方法是集中研究引力波产生的未来触发器的电磁后续活动，波探测器，如先进的LIGO。该中心的观测工作包括对来自致密双星坍缩的可疑引力波进行无线电和光学跟踪。星群模型的目的是建立一个天体物理学框架，以了解这种紧凑双星的形成过程。数据分析分项目利用先进的统计技术模拟真实的噪声源，并提供更好的天体物理因素估计，如重力波瞬变的天空位置。仪器子项目的研究重点是当前和下一代引力波探测器的子系统。特别是，某些光学元件的研究，以及测试质量悬浮液的实验对于发现当前和未来引力波探测器的局限性至关重要。它们与LIGO以及整个科学界的相关性只会因为以下事实而更加突出：最近不断增长的引力波探测器网络的改进大大增加了在2015年前后先进探测器上线后不久首次探测到的概率。更广泛的影响：CGWA仪器工作将产生重大的教育影响，该工作涉及实验物理研究的学生，并提供引力波探测器子系统的实践培训。CGWA光学和材料科学实验室为UTB的学生提供前所未有的研究经验。由CARA管理的本科生奖学金计划将为学生提供指导，并通过CARA非常成功的Arecibo远程指挥中心计划监控他们的成功。CGWA还将通过向公众提供其天文观测台的访问机会，继续向社区开展强有力的外联工作。CGWA的访客和会议计划将为其他感兴趣的科学家提供宝贵的资源，以参与多信使天文学的新领域。德克萨斯大学布朗斯维尔分校是一所西班牙裔服务机构，因此CGWA的研究和教育计划将在吸引西班牙裔学生到格兰德河山谷的STEM学科方面发挥重要作用，该山谷是美国教育和社会服务最差的地区之一。

The Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (CGWA) was established at The University of Texas at Brownsville in 2007 as a NSF Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST). The Phase II Center will initiate a new era, greatly expanding and improving its educational and research activities. Since its creation, the CGWA has become a major group-member of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration (LSC), the world-wide collaboration of 800 scientists from more than 30 institutions and thirteen countries that seeks to make the first direct detection of gravitational waves and use them as a new window onto the universe. The next five years will see the CGWA involved in research in which gravitational-wave observations are routinely conducted in astronomy. This new era is also ushering in a new multi-disciplinary approach to study astrophysical phenomena, called multi-messenger astronomy. The CGWA will pursue theoretical and experimental research activities, which seek to complement gravitational-wave detections with independent observations using optical and radio astronomy. The proposed research consists of: (i) Astrophysics, in collaboration with UTB's new Center for Advanced Radio Astronomy (CARA), that seeks to tie gravitational-wave observations to electromagnetic observations and astrophysical evolutionary theory; (ii) Data Analysis that concentrates on improved methods to search for gravitational waves, which can then be used as triggers for electromagnetic observations; and (iii) Detector Instrumentation that focuses on individual subsystems of the detectors and their noise-limited performance, with the goal to provide scientific guidelines for the concept and design of the next-generation of gravitational-wave detectors.Intellectual Merit:The Astrophysics Subproject supports multi-messenger astronomy by concentrating on the electromagnetic follow-ups of future triggers generated by gravitational-wave detectors such as advanced LIGO. The observational efforts at the Center include radio and optical follow-up of suspected gravitational waves from the collapse of compact binary stars. The population modeling aims at developing an astrophysical framework to understand the process of formation of such compact binary stars. The Data Analysis Subproject utilizes advanced statistical techniques to model realistic noise sources and provide improved estimates of astrophysical factors, such as the sky location of a gravitational-wave transient. The Instrumentation Subproject focuses its research on subsystems of current and next-generation gravitational-wave detectors. In particular, investigations of certain optical components, and experiments with test mass suspensions are crucial for finding the limitations of current and future gravitational wave detectors. Their relevance to LIGO, and to the scientific community in general, is only heightened by the fact that recent improvements in the growing network of gravitational-wave detectors greatly increase the probability of first detections shortly after the advanced detectors come on-line around 2015.Broader Impact:A major educational impact will be realized with the CGWA Instrumentation effort, which involves students in experimental physics research and provides hands-on training in gravitational-wave detector subsystems. The CGWA Optics and Material Science laboratories offer unprecedented research experiences for students at UTB. The scholarship program for undergraduates, run by CARA, will provide mentorship for students and monitor their success through CARA's highly successful Arecibo Remote Command Center Program. The CGWA will also sustain a robust outreach effort to the community by providing access to its astronomical observatory to the general public. The CGWA visitors and conference program will provide a valuable resource for other interested scientists to get involved in the new field of the multi-messenger astronomy. The University of Texas at Brownsville is a Hispanic serving institution and consequently the CGWA's research and educational programs will play a major role in attracting Hispanic students to STEM disciplines in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the most educationally and socially underserved regions of the USA.