Advanced LIGO Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves from Isolated and Binary Neutron Stars

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

The General Theory of Relativity discovered by Einstein tells us that the familiar, everyday force of gravity is a manifestation of something much stranger: the bending of the geometry of space-time by matter. Among the key predictions of the theory is the existence of gravitational waves: ripples moving at the speed of light in the geometry of space-time caused by the fast motion of large masses. Although well tested in terms of their indirect effects on binary systems of compact stars, the direct detection of gravitational waves incident on Earth poses an outstanding challenge. The scientific rewards from achieving this ability would be enormous - ranging from probing the extreme dynamics of exploding stars to gleaning information about the state of the Universe almost at the moment of the Big Bang itself. The effort to enable this new window on the universe has occupied several decades of experimental and technological developments that have pushed the boundaries across diverse fields in the physical sciences. The detection of continuous gravitational waves from rotating neutron stars would be especially interesting because many such sources are expected to continue emitting for long durations, allowing follow-up investigation of increasing precision, and because it is believed that these waves will provide insight into the poorly known structure of these exotic stars. The research to be carried out, on both the instrumental and analytical sides, will provide training to undergraduate and graduate students in state-of-the-art science at the frontier of knowledge. Research will focus on a number of specific areas related to the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO) Experiment: 1) co-leading the ongoing LIGO Scientific Collaboration's search for continuous gravitational waves; 2) carrying out searches for those waves from both isolated and binary neutron stars using programs developed previously by the University of Michigan gravitational waves group; 3) developing new search algorithms with improved sensitivity and computational efficiency; and 4) detector characterization of Advanced LIGO interferometers focused on spectral line identification and mitigation.