NSF Award
0969810
This award supports research related to the scientific success of LIGO (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) through the following projects: a) assistance in the development and evaluation of a data analysis pipeline that uses the maximum entropy method to recover short duration gravitational wave signals by combining the data from a network of gravitational wave detectors, and b) using a network analysis method to analyze data from times associated with astrophysical events. The award will enable the growth of an undergraduate research program in LIGO at Andrews University to develop students' skills and enhance their educational experience. The research program will involve the application of statistical methods that invert the response of a network of detectors to recover a gravitational wave signal. Astrophysical event "triggers" will be obtained from databases provided by the astronomical community. Coding will be done within the MATLAB environment and follow the programming standards of the LIGO collaboration. Undergraduate students will collaborate with other researchers both within the group at Andrews and within the LIGO collaboration. Research will lead to student publications and presentations. Educational experience from classes such those on relativity and Advanced Physics Laboratory will flow into research experience and research experience will enhance learning. <br/><br/>The LIGO interferometers have already taken data at the sensitivity they were initially designed to achieve. With recent and in-progress upgrades, gains in sensitivity will bring the first detections of gravitational waves and open the door to a new era of gravitational wave astronomy. The projects supported by this award will develop some of the analysis tools necessary to recover the information content of gravitational waves. In addition, the supported projects will involve undergraduates in research with an international collaboration and allow them to make direct contributions to a large experiment. They will also integrate with undergraduate educational experience by enhancing research skills, having direct ties with coursework and generating enthusiasm for research. The PI plans to provide outreach activities on gravitational waves and LIGO to local junior high students.
