Workshop: DAWN2 - What's Next for LIGO?

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

With the 11 February 2016 announcement by LIGO of the detection of GW150914, the era of gravitational wave astronomy has now passed a historical threshold. LIGO's first gravitational wave event opens new avenues for astrophysical exploration and data analysis enhancements informed by direct detection. It should be recalled that the detectors that brought LIGO to success were first conceived almost a quarter century ago. Thus equally importantly, now is the time to start to plan how (and where) to build more sensitive third-generation detectors to probe the gravitational wave Universe to higher redshift. This award supports a workshop entitled "DAWN2: What's Next for LIGO?" which will address this need by exploring the prospects for advancing the field over the next several years and identifying the necessary groundwork for designing and implementing the next generation of detectors. This forum will be informed by insights gained by LIGO, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and astrophysical partners from the first detections. Participants will discuss how these first few detections might inform which paths offer the best opportunities forward, and how the community should begin to develop plans for the international network of second and third generation instruments. The workshop will be held at the Georgia Institute of Technology on July 7-8, 2016. The workshop will have three sessions, one for each of the following topics: Advanced LIGO in the near and long term future, the international detector network and Multi-messenger astronomy, long term planning by the international community for 3rd generation detectors. The workshop will have three sessions, one for each of the topics listed above, each chaired by one of the members of the scientific organizing committee. Each topic will be introduced by "vision" talks from different points of view, which will be followed by a break and an hour of discussion time, generally freeform but moderated by a panel consisting of that session's speakers plus one or two others. After the meeting, the panelists will capture the ideas and consensus views that are brought forth by the presenters and the following discussion, and record them in one or more white papers. In this way, it is hoped that a clearer vision will take shape for ways to improve the scientific potential of the LIGO detectors. This should help the community focus on key technical developments and initiatives with existing and new resources.