Gravitational Waveform Recovery
Tiffany Summerscales (Physics)
Gravitational waveform recovery for Advanced LIGO
The LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) detectors have been decommissioned following more than a year of data collection at design sensitivity. Currently, the two observatory sites are seeing the installation of the Advanced LIGO detectors.These will bring about a tenfold increase in sensitivity and the first gravitational wave detections, assuming current astrophysical models and the theory of General Relativity are correct.
The activities of the Andrews LIGO research group will support the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) in its efforts to prepare for the Advanced LIGO era. One of the goals of the LSC is to transition data analysis codes to run “online” so that they process data as it is produced. Gravitational waves could then be detected and their properties, including source sky location, determined within minutes of passing through the detector. This will allow the LSC to alert optical astronomers to look for optical counterparts so we can learn about gravitational wave sources by studying both the gravitational waves and the light that they produce. The Andrews group will be modifying the codes that it has developed for extracting gravitational wave properties so that they can be run online. The Andrews group will also continue to support the LSC’s outreach efforts by assisting in the translation of public education materials into languages other than English.