UK Involvement in the Operation of Advanced LIGO
Lead Research Organisation:
Cardiff University
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Through the design and construction project 'Advanced LIGO UK,' the UK has succeeded in making fundamental contributions to the Advanced LIGO (aLIGO) detectors in the US by transfer of technology originally developed for GEO 600. As a direct result, UK groups are in a position to fully exploit the rich science data that will be produced over the coming decade. There is, therefore, a unique opportunity to ensure that UK scientists maintain leadership in gravitational wave science, by providing the support and infrastructure necessary for the UK to maintain full involvement in the operation of the aLIGO detectors and so to remain active partners in the user-community group, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), through which data rights are earned and distributed. Of equal importance is the need to ensure that UK delivered equipment and facilities for the aLIGO detectors are fully exploited to maximise the science output. This is true both in terms of their implementation within aLIGO, and later when it is planned that reconfiguration or upgrading of aLIGO will be undertaken. It is envisaged that the UK equipment which has been designed to meet all long-term project goals, will remain in place even following such upgrades, and continued UK technical support will help to ensure that is the case. The UK membership of the LSC is considerable, and we have been able to leverage data access and science return for a relatively small investment in the total hardware investment (at the few percent level). Further we are in a position to maintain involvement at the highest level for very modest additional investment, as set out in detail in this proposal.
Organisations
- Cardiff University (Collaboration, Lead Research Organisation)
- Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) (Collaboration)
- Tongji University (Collaboration)
- Australian Research Council (Collaboration)
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Collaboration)
- Hubei University of Education (Collaboration)
- Sun Yat-sen University (Collaboration)
- LIGO Scientific Collaboration (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE (Collaboration)
- IISER Pune (Collaboration)
- HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Collaboration)
- Shandong University (Collaboration)
- Tsinghua University China (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- Lomonosov Moscow State University (Collaboration)
- University of Sheffield (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW (Collaboration)
- Changchun University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- University of the West of Scotland (Collaboration)
- Beijing Normal University (Collaboration)
- INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON (Collaboration)
Publications
Thomas L
(2022)
Accelerating multimodal gravitational waveforms from precessing compact binaries with artificial neural networks
in Physical Review D
Thompson J
(2020)
Modeling the gravitational wave signature of neutron star black hole coalescences
in Physical Review D
Tiwari V
(2018)
Constraining Black Hole Spins with Gravitational-wave Observations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Tolley A
(2023)
ArchEnemy: removing scattered-light glitches from gravitational wave data
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Usman S
(2016)
The PyCBC search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Usman S
(2019)
Constraining the Inclinations of Binary Mergers from Gravitational-wave Observations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Veitch J
(2015)
Measuring Intermediate-Mass Black-Hole Binaries with Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors.
in Physical review letters
Vinciguerra S
(2017)
Enhancing the significance of gravitational wave bursts through signal classification
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Williams N
(2022)
Prospects for distinguishing dynamical tides in inspiralling binary neutron stars with third generation gravitational-wave detectors
in Physical Review D
Xu Y
(2023)
Measurability of precession and eccentricity for heavy binary-black-hole mergers
in Physical Review D
| Title | Gravitational Wave Artwork Infinite LIGO Dreams |
| Description | Painting inspired by first detection of gravitational waves. |
| Type Of Art | Image |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | The Institute of Physics Scotland will be awarding 5 special edition prints 'Infinite LIGO Dreams' to winners of a science award that will be presented in the summer of 2017. Featured by Physics World http://blog.physicsworld.com/2016/11/24/the-beauty-of-gravitational-waves/ Featured by CERN Courier http://cerncourier.com/cws/download/Jan-Feb17 |
| Description | This award funded the operation of a large computational resource at Cardiff University that was used to perform searches for gravitational waves in the data taken by the advanced LIGO detectors. In September 2015, the first gravitational wave signal, emitted during the merger of two black holes, was observed. The computing provided by this award was used to extract the signal from the data and provide accurate measurements of the parameters of the two black holes. |
| Exploitation Route | The detection of gravitational waves is a major scientific breakthrough, and will have a major impact on astronomy over the coming years, as we observe more gravitational wave events and use them to observe the universe in an entirely new way. The research performed on computing algorithm development and code optimisation is being shared with other researchers across physics and astronomy. Additionally, work on securely accessing remote computing services is being continued in collaboration with other researchers across Europe and could, in the long term, lead to new, secure methods of authenticating to services on the internet. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education |
| URL | https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/detection |
| Description | Authentication and Authorisation For Research and Collaboration (AARC2) |
| Amount | € 2,999,892 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 730941 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 05/2017 |
| End | 04/2019 |
| Description | Investigations in Gravitational Radiation |
| Amount | £1,303,610 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/N005430/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2016 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | Proposal for UK Involvement in the Operation of Advanced LIGO |
| Amount | £829,829 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/N000064/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 12/2019 |
| Description | Science and Technology Funding Council - Investigations in Gravitational Radiation |
| Amount | £4,360,741 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/N005422/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2016 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Beijing Normal University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Changchun University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Huazhong University of Science and Technology |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Hubei University of Education |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Shandong University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Sun Yat-Sen University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Tongji University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | Tsinghua University China |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | University of Southampton |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | University of Strathclyde |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gravitational-wave Excellence through Alliance Training (GrEAT) Network with China |
| Organisation | University of the West of Scotland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As this is training and capacity building grant, we will contribute scientific excellence and skills across the full range of gravitational wave science (from instrumentation to astrophysics), as well as our expertise in outreach and collaboration with industry. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Full range of the relevant expertise available in the Chinese Gravitational Wave consortium. |
| Impact | Collaboration just started |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | LSC |
| Organisation | LIGO Scientific Collaboration |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The LSC carries out the science of the LIGO Observatories, located in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana as well as that of the GEO600 detector in Hannover, Germany. Our collaboration is organized around three general areas of research: analysis of LIGO and GEO data searching for gravitational waves from astrophysical sources, detector operations and characterization, and development of future large scale gravitational wave detectors. As evidenced by our outputs that emerge from this collaboration, we contribute strongly to these three areas. In particular we develop low-noise suspension technology and design new optical techniques for the detectors. We also contribute strongly to data analysis particularly in the searches for pulsars and "ringing down" of newly formed black holes. One of our most significant contributions in the area of data analysis has been in the application of Bayesian techniques to parameter estimation in gravitational wave searches. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) is a group of scientists seeking to make the first direct detection of gravitational waves, use them to explore the fundamental physics of gravity, and develop the emerging field of gravitational wave science as a tool of astronomical discovery. The LSC works toward this goal through research on, and development of techniques for, gravitational wave detection; and the development, commissioning and exploitation of gravitational wave detectors. Membership of the LSC fundamentally enables our research. It provides access to gravitational wave data, opportunities to contribute to instrument upgrades, and training for our graduate students, and is the primary locus for application of our technology developments. As the World-leading collaboration in the field membership of the LSC is vital to our ongoing research. Collaborators operate the four LSC detectors to produce gravitational wave data. With us they archive this and enable us to access it for analysis. The collaboration carries out joint analysis of the data from all four instruments. Collaborators host our equipment at the detectors, and also at test facilities at which we undertake joint technology developments, supplementing those we carry out in Glasgow. Collaborators provide training in the operation of detectors, and detector subsystems. Within the technical working groups set up by the collaboration, there is exchange of ideas on advanced interferometer techniques and topologies, on data analysis, on laser sources, on optics, including optical coatings and thermal noise, and on suspension technology. |
| Impact | Philip Leverhulme Prize RCUK Fellowship Post-doctoral Fellowship EC Framework 7 Infrastructures program International Joint Project Award scheme Travel grant RCUK Science Bridges RCUK Science Bridges Seedcorn grant Research Merit Award JISC Grant SUPA Studentship Science in Society Fellowship RSE/Scottish Executive Personal Research Fellowship MP FS AH MB SR Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2008 Appearance on Radio 4 programme "In our time" Appearance on BBC One Countryfile Regular visits to local schools Public lectures at Science Centres and Science Festivals Events for International Year of Astronomy 2009 Lectures to amateur astronomical societies Meet the Scientist @ Glasgow Science Centre Science @ the Scottish Parliament Astronomy's New Messengers Icarus at the Edge of Time CPD Training for schoolteachers ScienceFace Scottish Science Advisory Council Technology Development Hydroxy-catalysis bonding for technology applications Hydroxy-catalysis bonding for research Fused silica suspension fibres for application in technology Fused silica suspension fibres for gravitational wave detectors Bayesian Techniques in precision optical sensing Bayesian Techniques in gravitational wave data analysis Amplitude or arbitrary phase sideband optical cavity probes Technology Development Diffractively coupled high finesse optical cavities Silicon Carbide bonding Berlin 2009 GWADW 2009 Amaldi 2009 RAS NAM 2009 GWADW 2009 RAS NAM 2008 Texas 2008 Moscow 2008 Schuster Colloquium Elizabeth Spreadbury Lecture RSE Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize Lectureship Wolfson Research Merit Award Tannahill Lecture and Medal Fellow ISGRGI FRSE (1) FInstP (1) FRAS (1) FRSE (2) Max-Planck-Society FRAS (2) History and Development of Knowledge IOP Nuclear and Particle Physics Divisional Conference Advanced Detector Workshop Kyoto LISA Symposium Stanford Optical Fibre Sensors Edinburgh Advanced Detector Workshop Florida Gravitational Wave Bursts meeting Mexico ILIAS Dresden IoP NPPD conference Glasgow 12th Marcel Grossman meeting Paris Lomonosov conference Moscow Advanced Detector Workshop Florida GR19 Meeting Mexico LISA International Symposium Stanford OECD Global Science Forum India IAU Rio de Janeiro Amaldi NY Fujihara Seminar Tokyo OECD Global Science Forum Cracow NEB X111 Thessaloniki New Worlds Portugal PASCOS 07 London LEOS Montreal XX1X Spanish Relativity Meeting Mallorca Rencontres de Moriond Italy Texas Symposium Heidelberg Aspera Workshop Paris IoP HEPP and AP Annual Meeting Frontiers in Optics, OSA, San Jose Amaldi NY Fujiwara Foundation Seminar Japan Advanced Detector Workshop Florida IoP Astroparticle meeting Oxford Cosmo 07 Sussex Aspera Workshop Paris Workshop on Charging Issues MIT IoP NPPD Annual conference Surrey RAS ordinary meeting London ILIAS Italy IAU General Assembly Prague NPPD Conference Glasgow Statistical Challenges Penn State Amaldi student talk Visiting Professorship Jena STFC Particle Astrophysics Advisory panel Physical and Engineering Committee of ESF SSAC Chair GWIC Chair STFC Panels Royal Society Research Grants Panel Aspera/ApPEC Science Advisory Committee Trustee RSE RSE Fellowship Committee IoP Awards Committee Chair LIGO Election & Membership GWIC Deputy Chair PPAN RSE Grants Committee RSE Sectional Committee Stanford-Scotland Photonics GEO Executive Committee FP7 ET Design Study Member STFC Science Committee PPAN GWIC Roadmap committee STFC Oversight Committee Zeplin III Aspera/ApPEC Peer Review Committee Governing Council FP6 ILIAS Aspera/ApPEC Roadmap Committee Advanced Detector committee LSC Publication Policy committee LSC LSC CW Group co-Chair reelected SUPA Astro theme leader LSC CW Group co-chair LSC Detection Committee LSC Data Analysis Council FRSE Aspen Center for Physics 2008 Aspen Center for Physics 2011 Advanced Detectors Workshop Kyoto Cosmic Co-Motion Queensland SAMSI North Carolina Center for Astrostatistics Penn State RAS NAM Llandudno Cosmology and Machine Learning UCL ILIAS Dresden PF PhD FB PhD KC Ugrad LO Ugrad RD Ugrad LM Ugrad LMac Ugrad AB Ugrad EWB Ugrad DF PhD ST Staff BL Staff HW PhD KB RA SF Staff KS staff LSF staff ZP Ugrad DH PhD RU Ugrad NH Ugrad MC Ugrad SL Ugrad NG Ugrad CS PhD OB PhD OB PhD MB PhD EJ Ugrad RM Ugrad RW Ugrad SJ Ugrad SL Ugrad BL Staff BG Ugrad AP PhD PS staff VM staff LG Staff CC PhD SZ Ugrad NM PhD MJ staff AG PhD FGC PhD |
| Description | Partnership between the Institute for Gravitational Research and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) - MPitkin |
| Organisation | Australian Research Council |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The partnership funded a two week visit to the OzGrav institutions in Melbourne, Australia, for Dr Matthew Pitkin. During the visit he presented seminars at each institution, participated in and chaired workshop sessions, and developed collaborative projects in gravitational-wave astronomy. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partner contributed funds for travel and accommodation via the OzGrav International Visitor Funding Program. |
| Impact | The main outcome is the development of software (bibly https://lscsoft.docs.ligo.org/bilby/index.html) and an associated paper (https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.02042) that will become the main package for source parameter estimation for gravitational-wave signals within the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Royal Society International Partnership with Russia: "Improving low-frequency sensitivity of future Gravitational Wave Observatories" |
| Organisation | Moscow State University |
| Country | Russian Federation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The University in Glasgow provides experimental expertise in interferometry as well as access to the 10m prototype interferometer as well as to the materials characterisation and loss measurement facilities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The team at Moscow State University provides theoretical expertise in the analysis of quantum limited systems, as well as experimental facilities for mechanical loss measurements complementary to the ones available in Glasgow. |
| Impact | E. Knyazev et al.: "Speedmeter scheme for gravitational-wave detectors based on EPR quantum entanglement," Physics Letters A, 10.1016/j.physleta.2017.10.009, 2017 S. L. Danilishin et al.,: "A new type of quantum speed meter interferometer: measuring speed to search for intermediate mass black holes" Light: Science & Applications (2018) 7, doi: 10.1038/s41377-018-0004-2 L. G. Prokhorov et. al,: "Upper limits on the mechanical loss of silicate bonds in a silicon tuning fork oscillator" Physics Letters A, 10.1016/j.physleta.2017.07.007 A joint application to the EU Quantum Technology flagship call (proposal currently under evaluation). |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Royal Society International Partnership with Russia: "Improving low-frequency sensitivity of future Gravitational Wave Observatories" |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The University in Glasgow provides experimental expertise in interferometry as well as access to the 10m prototype interferometer as well as to the materials characterisation and loss measurement facilities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The team at Moscow State University provides theoretical expertise in the analysis of quantum limited systems, as well as experimental facilities for mechanical loss measurements complementary to the ones available in Glasgow. |
| Impact | E. Knyazev et al.: "Speedmeter scheme for gravitational-wave detectors based on EPR quantum entanglement," Physics Letters A, 10.1016/j.physleta.2017.10.009, 2017 S. L. Danilishin et al.,: "A new type of quantum speed meter interferometer: measuring speed to search for intermediate mass black holes" Light: Science & Applications (2018) 7, doi: 10.1038/s41377-018-0004-2 L. G. Prokhorov et. al,: "Upper limits on the mechanical loss of silicate bonds in a silicon tuning fork oscillator" Physics Letters A, 10.1016/j.physleta.2017.07.007 A joint application to the EU Quantum Technology flagship call (proposal currently under evaluation). |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | IISER Pune |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | Indian Institute of Technology Madras |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | University of Southampton |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | University of Strathclyde |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | STFC Newton-Bhabha: Capacity Building for LIGO-India |
| Organisation | University of the West of Scotland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Glasgow will be hosting a UK focused meeting in April 2018, also staff visits of colleagues from RRCAT and IIT Bombay. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners are contributing staff for exchanges, Indian partners will contribute in-kind support of staff & computing time. |
| Impact | MOU between UK and Indian institutes Collaboration agreement signed between UK and Indian institutes Just starting a print run of a book in general relativity, to be distributed to Indian schools |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Title | Black Hole Bubble Plot |
| Description | To visualise the black hole binaries discovered by LIGO, I created an online web-tool that displays a "Bubble Plot" of all known black holes, including those detected by LIGO and those inferred from x-ray binary measurements. The web-tool will be updated as more gravitational wave detections are published. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | There has been significant interest from members of the LIGO community, which has increased its reach and the page has been translated from English into Oriya (Odia), French, Hungarian and Chinese (Hong Kong). It is continuously updated with detections as they are annouced. |
| URL | http://chrisnorth.github.io/plotgw/bhbubble |
| Title | GW Catalogue Plotter |
| Description | I developed and published a web-tool to visualise the gravitational wave data produced by LIGO. It allows the user to explore the detections made to date, and provides links to the data on the LIGO Online Science Centre (LOSC). The web-tool is open source and will be updated as more results are published. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | Other members of the LIGO-Virgo team have expressed great interest in the web-tool, and there is an intention to include it in a future version of GWOSC. It is continuously updated with detections as they are announced. |
| URL | http://catalog.cardiffgravity.org |
| Title | GWCat Webtool/animation |
| Description | A javascript interface to a catalogue of gravitational wave events. The catalogue is used by a number of other web-resources. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Sky-maps have been used in a number of LIGO web stories and social media posts. The catalogue has enabled the production of a number of other web-resources and teaching resources, both my myself (the original author) and others. |
| URL | https://gwcat.cardiffgravity.org/ |
| Title | GWCatpy |
| Description | A python interface to interact with and build the "GWCat" catalogue. It combines the official GWOSC and GraceDB databases into one catalogue that can be accessed online using javascript. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | The catalogue that is built has been used by a number of other people, including internationally |
| URL | https://github.com/cardiffgravity/gwcatpy |
| Title | Gravitational Wave Search Software |
| Description | Software to perform searches for gravitational waves associated with astrophysical triggers. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2010 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Used for many observational results publications by LIGO. |
| URL | https://trac.ligo.caltech.edu/xpipeline/ |
| Title | Gravitational Wave Search Software |
| Description | Software to perform searches for gravitational waves emitted by merging black holes and neutron stars. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | This software was used in the detection of gravitational waves. |
| URL | https://github.com/ligo-cbc/pycbc |
| Title | Gravitational Wave Search Software |
| Description | Software to perform searches for gravitational waves emitted by merging black holes and neutron stars. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | This software was used in the detection of gravitational waves. |
| URL | https://github.com/ligo-cbc/pycbc |
| Title | Gravitational Waves online workshops |
| Description | An online equivalent of the pre-existing hands-on workshops, designed for A-level and GCSE students. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | This was developed ahead of Covid, but became much more relevant later |
| URL | http://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/physicsoutreach/workshops/gravitational-waves/online/ |
| Title | Publication and presentation software |
| Description | The LIGO Scientific Collaboration comprises over 1,000 scientists. We have developed a web-based tool that tracks the publications written and presentations given by the members of the collaboration. The Collaboration performs an internal review of these materials prior to release, and the tool has vastly simplified this process, saving countless hours of researcher time. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | The webtool is used regularly by members of the collaboration. It is a significant improvement over a previous, email based, system. The new system as save countless hours of researcher time in circulating and reviewing these publications and presentations. |
| URL | https://pnp.ligo.org/ |
| Title | Top Ten GW Events |
| Description | A list of gravitational wave events organised in "top ten" lists for a range of parameters |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Used in a number of LIGO social media posts. |
| URL | https://data.cardiffgravity.org/gw-topten/ |
| Title | Voting software |
| Description | A voting tool for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration that makes use of collaboration identity management to restrict access to the appropriate groups. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Impact | This software is widely used within the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, comprising 1,000 scientists. It is easy to use and well liked. |
| URL | https://vote.ligo.org/ |
| Title | Waveform viewer |
| Description | A tool to display and filter the waveforms of the LIGO-Virgo detections |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | A number of members of the collaboration have reported using it for presentations. It is consistently updated with new detections as they are announced. |
| URL | http://cardiffgravity.org/waveview |
| Description | "Star Attractions at the Museum" at National Museum Cardiff |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public talk on gravitational waves. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Ascoltare le voci dell'Universo (Listening the voices of the Universe) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Ascoltare le voci dell'Universo (Listening the voices of the Universe), a two-hour invited outreach talk on gravitational waves and their first detection given at the liceo scientifico statale Nomentano (Nomentano high school), Rome, Italy [01/06/2016] |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Black hole hunter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Developed the Black Hole Hunter game to give the public insight into how gravitational wave searches are performed. The game was updated at the time of the first gravitational wave detection. It has had over 50000 page views since the detectio, and 14000 unique visitors since the detection. Tens of thousands of members of the public have played the game. It is widely used in outreach exhibits around the world and has been translated into French, Spanish and German |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
| URL | http://blackholehunter.org/ |
| Description | Can you hear black holes |
| 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 | This was a Royal Society Summer exhibition. An estimated 4000 people passed through our stand in 3 days. Exhibits were developed and in particular the online black hole hunger game was developed for the exhibition. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
| Description | Derby & District 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 | A public talk to Derby & District Astronomical Society. Lots of questions asked by the panel, and followed up by an invite to another astronomical society. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Gravitational Waves Teacher CPD |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | An online Teacher CPD session delivered as part of the IOP Wales Brecon Conference, outlining the resources available relating to gravitational waves. Attendees were generally from the UK, though there was participation from around the world. Teachers reported feeling more confident in discussing gravitational waves in the classroom and delivering the materials discussed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMyJuBlG70w |
| Description | Hay Festival, 30 June 2016, Hay-on-Wye, UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk on gravitational wave discovery at Hay Festival, 30 June 2016, Hay-on-Wye, UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | IOP SE & London - Gravitational Waves 5 years on |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An online talk delivered to the IOP SE & London branch, and available online. Attendance and feedback were both very good |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://stadium.open.ac.uk/stadia/preview.php?whichevent=3550&s=31 |
| Description | Interview - LIGO detects whispers of another black-hole merger, Nature, 15 June 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Quoted in Nature article. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Interview - The black-hole collision that reshaped physics, Nature, 23 March 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview for Nature article. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Kip Thorne (schools lecture) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A schools talk for GCSE and A-level students to accompany a public talk by Prof Kip Thorne later that evening. Approx 80 students from 5 schools attended. Very well received, and led to further requests for activities. Feedback (before and after) suggests that students appreciated the precision of the technology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/schools-event-kip-thorne-my-romance-with-the-warped-side-of-the-unive... |
| Description | Kip Thorne lecture - online video |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A youtube video of Kip Thorne's talk in Cardiff in October 2019. It has over 267,000 views as of March 2021 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlmMxmWHEfg |
| Description | Kip Thorne public talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A public talk by Kip Thorne about the discovery of gravitational waves. Complete sell-out - 450 people in attendance. Very well received, with many interesting questions from the audience. 4000 views of talk video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlmMxmWHEfg |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kip-thorne-my-romance-with-the-warped-side-of-the-universe-tickets-73... |
| Description | Meet the Experts Panel Discussion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A "Meet the expert" online meeting, comprising panel talks and audience Q&A. The audience were very engaged and asked a lot of questions. Some questions were answered in the call, while others had text responses. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/physicsoutreach/2021/02/23/gravitational-waves-meet-the-experts/ |
| Description | Relativita, Festival Delle Scienze, 22 May 2016 Rome, Italy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Participated in science festival. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Scienceface interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 2017.09.22 Einstein's former summer house, Caputh, Germany: Interviewed on film for a new episode of the Scienceface series; film presently being edited for publication later in 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| Description | The First Ever Detection of Gravitational Waves |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Short video describing the first observation of gravitational waves. Posted on YouTube and viewed by over 10,000 people. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcxt097G4Ps |
| Description | The First Sounds of the Cosmic Symphony |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The First Sounds of the Cosmic Symphony, a stand-up talk on gravitational-wave research activity for the general public, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff [14/10/2016] |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |