The Operation and Maintenance of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO)

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT LIGO Continuing Operations The LIGO Laboratory will continue operation of the LIGO observatories at Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana and the associated science programs at Caltech and MIT over FY 2009 ? FY 2013. The effort includes: - The maintenance and operation of the LIGO sites and interferometers, - Research and development to support advanced interferometer technology and provide potential backup approaches for Advanced LIGO should the need arise, - Instrument science and the analysis and interpretation of data, - A visitors program that was previously partially funded by separate grants but which will be incorporated into the proposed program, - An expanded education outreach program to fully use the LIGO facilities, - Contributions by the LIGO Laboratory in data management, information technology support, and general support to the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. LIGO is currently operating the three initial LIGO interferometers at the two LIGO observatories in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana. Intellectual merit: LIGO fostered the creation and development of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), which consists of more than 563 researchers from the LIGO Laboratory and from 55 external institutions in the USA and abroad. The creation of the LSC has enabled broad participation in LIGO and promoted the growth and development of experimental gravity research in the USA. There have been new faculty appointments at LSC and other institutions that have made significant and strategic intellectual investments in the emerging field of gravitational-wave astronomy. The LSC will guide gravitational-wave research and define the developing program of improvements in the state of the art. Broader impacts: The LIGO Laboratory also will build upon its program of education at each of the four laboratory sites, communicating the excitement experienced by LIGO scientists to young people from elementary to graduate levels. Community outreach activities will be extended to include new demonstration and interpretive programs. LIGO collaboration with industry will encourage new technologies and applications stimulated by the extraordinarily precise measurements required for observing gravitational waves.