RUI: Adding Spin to a Gravitational Wave Detector Simulator

最近探测到的空间和时间上的微小涟漪被称为引力波，这促使天文学家考虑建立更灵敏的引力波探测器的新方法。该项目将开发、测试和共享一个灵活的计算机应用程序，该应用程序模拟未来的探测器可能如何对双星系统做出反应，双星系统是最重要的引力波来源。这个模型将探索不同设计的表现如何，并将交叉检查这一令人兴奋的天文研究新领域中其他小组的探测器模型。该项目将为处于教育关键时刻的大学生提供宝贵的研究经验。它还将为高中、大学和研究生教育工作者提供有关引力波天文学、探测器物理和引力磁学奇怪现象的新教学资源。引力波天文学的出现和新引力波探测器的前景使确定如何最好地使用这些探测器成为引力研究界的一项关键任务。该项目支持完成一个计算机应用程序，该应用程序对由自旋激励的双星系统产生的引力波进行建模，模拟它们的探测，并估计探测器噪声给系统特性确定带来的不确定性。这项工作将包括(1)完善对模型的进动恒星自转的添加，(2)针对不同研究小组的模拟对模型进行彻底测试，(3)使用测试的模型产生对该领域有价值的结果，以及(4)创建一个允许公众访问模型软件、文档和教育材料的门户网站。该模型的独特之处在于提供了一种基于时间域的分析，其中包括波形中的高次谐波，以及一种执行不同检测器设计的受控比较的自然方式，因此将是研究界与其他模型进行比较并用于进一步研究的有价值和可访问的工具。该项目还将支持一些本科生的研究经验，并为不同级别的教育工作者提供新的在线教学资源，向学生传授相关物理主题。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The recent detection of the tiny ripples in space and time known as gravitational waves has prompted astronomers to consider new ways to build more sensitive gravitational-wave detectors. This project will develop, test, and share a flexible computer app that simulates how future detectors might react to binary star systems, the most important source of gravitational waves. This model will explore how well different designs perform, and it will cross-check the detector models of other groups in this exciting new area of astronomical research. This project will give valuable research experience to college students at a crucial time in their education. It will also give high school, college, and graduate-level educators new teaching resources on gravitational-wave astronomy, detector physics, and the strange phenomenon of gravitomagnetism.The dawning of gravitational wave astronomy and the prospect of new gravitational wave detectors have made determining how to best use such detectors a critical task for the gravity research community. This project supports completion of a computer application that models the gravitational waves generated by inspiraling binary star systems with spin, simulates their detection, and estimates the uncertainties that detector noise introduces into determinations of system characteristics. This work will involve (1) perfecting the addition of precessing stellar spin to the model, (2) thoroughly testing the model against simulations from various research groups, (3) using the tested model to generate results valuable to the field, and (4) creating a web portal granting public access to the model software, documentation, and educational materials. This model is distinctive in providing a time-domain-based analysis that includes higher-order harmonics in the waveform as well as a natural way to perform controlled comparisons of different detector designs, and so will be a valuable and accessible tool for the research community to compare with other models and to use for further research. This project will also support research experiences for a number of undergraduates and delivers new online teaching resources for educators at a variety of levels for teaching students about related physics topics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.