UK involvement in the Advanced LIGO Gravitational Wave Project
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
It is essential to enhance tje sensitivities of the initial long baseline gravitational wave detectors (LIGO, GEO 600, TAMA 300, and VIRGO) to enter the 'observatory phase of gravitational wave astronomy. A factor of ten in detection range (athousand) in detection volume) over the initial detectors would bring a great variety and number of sources within reach. The most efficient way to gain this sensitivity is to transfer the technology developed for GEO 600 - monolithic suspensions for the test masses and enhanced interferometric techniques - to the three LIGO detectors at the sites in Washington State and Louisiana to create 'advanced LIGO'. This transfer is currently underway and the UK gravitational wave groups at Glasgow, Cardiff and Birmingham have very strong collaborative relationships with the LIGO project. This application is for funding to supply Avanced LIGO with equipment as outlined in the objectives in return for management rights in the strategic planning of the observations and full access to the resulting data.
Publications
Mingarelli C
(2013)
Characterizing gravitational wave stochastic background anisotropy with pulsar timing arrays
in Physical Review D
Grover K
(2014)
Comparison of gravitational wave detector network sky localization approximations
in Physical Review D
Aasi J
(2013)
Search for long-lived gravitational-wave transients coincident with long gamma-ray bursts
in Physical Review D
Farr B
(2014)
A more effective coordinate system for parameter estimation of precessing compact binaries from gravitational waves
in Physical Review D
Smith R
(2013)
Towards rapid parameter estimation on gravitational waves from compact binaries using interpolated waveforms
in Physical Review D
Abbott B
(2016)
GW150914: First results from the search for binary black hole coalescence with Advanced LIGO
in Physical Review D
Sidery T
(2014)
Reconstructing the sky location of gravitational-wave detected compact binary systems: Methodology for testing and comparison
in Physical Review D
Abbott B
(2017)
All-sky search for short gravitational-wave bursts in the first Advanced LIGO run
in Physical Review D
Kelley L
(2013)
Electromagnetic transients as triggers in searches for gravitational waves from compact binary mergers
in Physical Review D
Abbott B
(2018)
Full band all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the O1 LIGO data
in Physical Review D
| Description | We have developed sensors and control electronics for ultra-sophisticaed devices (laser interferometers) that measure relative displacements of mirrors to better than the size of an atom's nucleus in the band 10-1000 Hz. This work has provided hardware for advanced LIGO that has achieved the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first observation of a binary black hole |
| Exploitation Route | this is now the standard for gravitational-wave laser interferometers in the world and the one that has detected gravitational waves |
| Sectors | Electronics,Other |
| URL | https://www.advancedligo.mit.edu |
| Description | We have developed and then built and delivered actuator and control electronics for the Advanced LIGO gravitational-wave laser interferometers in the US. Advanced LIGO has detected gravitational waves and the first binary black hole also as part of this project |
| First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
| Sector | Education,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | ASPERA |
| Amount | £42,468 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2015 |
| End | 03/2016 |
| Description | Novel Technologies for Cross-disciplinary Research programme |
| Amount | £2,515,589 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | GG-TOP: Gravity Gradient |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2011 |
| End | 02/2015 |
| Title | GW sources |
| Description | data set of the detected gravitational wave sources |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | it's the first and only catalogue of astronomical objects known in gravitational waves |
| URL | https://losc.ligo.org/about/ |
| Title | finesse |
| Description | Frequency domain INterfErometer Simulation SoftwarE |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2007 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | it has allowed design and debug laser interferometers with a simple but powerful tool. It has allowed to simulate many different user-defined optical setups. It has been used for Advanced LIGO |
| URL | http://www.gwoptics.org/finesse/ |
| Title | lalinference |
| Description | data analysis technique to study the properties of gravitational-wave sources |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2010 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | it has enabled the characterisation of the physical properties of GW sources |
| URL | https://www.lsc-group.phys.uwm.edu/daswg/projects/lalsuite.html |
| Description | GEO Collaboration |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Data analysis and instrumental development |
| Collaborator Contribution | Data analysis and instrumental development |
| Impact | Many papers, technology developments, and outreach events |
| Description | GEO Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Department | Physics and Astronomy Department |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Data analysis and instrumental development |
| Collaborator Contribution | Data analysis and instrumental development |
| Impact | Many papers, technology developments, and outreach events |
| Title | finesse |
| Description | Finesse is a software package that allows to design and test par-axial laser optics setups, with a specific focus on precision length measurements. The package is well documented and open source. Development has started in 1997 and software has been used and improved within the international science collaborations ever since. It is still under active development with new features being implemented upon request from the community. Optics, active and adaptive optics, mirrors, aspherics, interferometers, photonics |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Finesse is a international standard package in the field of gravitational wave science. It is also used in other fields of science. I have been in informal collaborations with companies and defense contractors in the US who have used the software. |
| URL | http://www.gwoptics.org/finesse/ |
| Title | interferometric sensors |
| Description | compact interferometric sensors Instrumentation technologies (inc. vibration, miniaturisation, ruggedness) |
| Type Of Technology | Systems, Materials & Instrumental Engineering |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Impact | compact interferometer for precision measurements |
| Title | lalinference |
| Description | statistical inference package |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | this is the standard for inference on gravitational-wave data particularly for coalescing binaries |
| URL | https://www.lsc-group.phys.uwm.edu/daswg/projects/lal/nightly/docs/html/group__ch__inference.html |
| Title | sensors |
| Description | opto mechanical sensor for GW interferometer mass Instrumentation technologies (inc. vibration, miniaturisation, ruggedness) |
| Type Of Technology | Systems, Materials & Instrumental Engineering |
| Year Produced | 2006 |
| Impact | essential for GW laser interferometers |
| Description | BICEP2 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | sparked questions and discussion afterwards people asked to visit research group and talk to scientists |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | BBC Stargazing live |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | many people visited stand TV and radio coverage |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | BSF 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | press conference and pupil workshop press coverage in BBC, Irish time |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Big Bang Fair |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | hundreds of pupils attended - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | British Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | people visited exhibition press conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | Institute of Physics public lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | sparked questions and discussion and increased interest in related subject areas |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | spark questions and discussion afterwards received requests for more sessions like this and to visit research group |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Public talk for Walsall Astronomical Society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | about 50 people attended the talk which sparked discussion and other talks were requested |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Public talk for the Association for Science Education annual conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | lively discussion |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | astrostatistics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | sparked questions and discussion afterwards received requests for more discussions in this area |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | public talks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | between 10 and 100 people attended events received requests from other organisations to give talks |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011 |
| Description | visit of Andrew Cohen, head of BBC science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | discussed research with Andrew Cohen, head of BBC science - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | visit of David Willets |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | showed lab and activities - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |