Binary Populations in Gravitational Wave Data Analysis

Utah State University, Logan UT

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports research to explore how future gravitational wave observations from ground-based interferometric gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO and pulsar timing arrays can be used to characterize populations of astronomical gravitational-wave sources. First, analysis techniques will be developed to identify the source of a particular class of events without full parameter searches, particularly eccentric binaries. Further work will explore how a catalog of detections at high frequencies constrains the plausible progenitor models that gave rise to the sources observed by LIGO. A second thrust of the project is to consider the extension of interferometric analysis techniques to pulsar timing analysis including the development of a sensitivity algorithm analogous to those used by interferometric detectors, and the development of the null stream pointing technique for pulsar timing arrays. Gravitational wave astronomy is an emergent discipline that has recently entered an era where the primary activity is true astrophysical observation. The LIGO observatory is the first detector with the real capability for sensing gravitational radiation of astrophysical origin, and has propelled the field from one dominated by theoretical computations into a rich research discipline that encompasses the acquisition of data and analysis of experimental results. Pulsar timing is emerging as a prominent technique for detecting very-low frequency gravitational waves, and is drawing from a rich background of analysis techniques and world-wide pulsar monitoring efforts in the radio astronomy community. In addition, the PI will leverage an existing public outreach program at Utah State University known as Science Unwrapped, a synergistic combination of public presentations by active researchers with direct hands-on science experiences. Three events for the Science Unwrapped related to gravitational wave physics, including the hands-on science experiences, will be developed as will a companion Spanish language component to reach out to the Hispanic communities in northern Utah.