| NSF Org: |
PHY Division Of Physics |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | April 28, 2008 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 2, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 0757937 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Pedro Marronetti
pmarrone@nsf.gov (703)292-7372 PHY Division Of Physics MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2008 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2012 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $240,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $260,160.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2009 = $60,160.00 FY 2010 = $80,000.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
113 FALKNER UNIVERSITY MS US 38677-9704 (662)915-7482 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
113 FALKNER UNIVERSITY MS US 38677-9704 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
LIGO RESEARCH SUPPORT, EPSCoR Co-Funding |
| Primary Program Source: |
01000910DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001011DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is designed to observe gravitational waves in the intermediate-high frequency regime. Inspiral and merger of stellarmass compact objects and black holes are leading candidate sources for detection. This award provides support for the LIGO research activities of the University of Mississippi (UMISS) group. The UMISS group contributes to LIGO efforts in the areas of data analysis, detector characterization, and outreach. The supported program focuses on these areas. Its main goals are: (1) Investigate the effect of different instrumental and signal-based proposed vetoes in current and future searches and to develop and implement possible optimization methods that may result from these studies; (2) Contribute to the investigation and mitigation of environmental disturbances at the LIGO Observatories; (3) Contribute to the LIGO outreach program by developing educational material and coordinating LIGO outreach activities in Mississippi. A theoretical component of this program focuses on the possible detection of ringdown signals and exotic compact objects by Enhanced and Advanced LIGO. These investigations will pave the way to extract astrophysical information and test fundamental physics with next-generation LIGO detectors.
The proposed research will successfully contribute to LIGO near-, intermediate- and longterm science goals by contributing to LIGO?s efforts in achieving the first-ever detection of a gravitational-wave and by exploring in depth LIGO?s potential for measuring astrophysical parameters and testing the fundamental nature of gravitation. The broader impact of this project is to increase research and educational opportunities in a geographical region of the United States where engagement in basic sciences is below national average. This project will expand Mississippi?s involvement in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and will create new opportunities for public outreach initiatives at local and regional scale.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
This award provided support for the research activities of the University of Mississippi (UMISS) group within the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration. The LIGO detectors are instruments designed to directly detect for the first time gravitational waves of astrophysical origin.
Intellectual merit
The UMISS group contributed to LIGO science in the areas of data analysis, detector characterization, and theory. Data analysis work focused on LIGO's search for binary systems of star-like compact objects, such as black holes and neutron stars. The work of the UMISS group actively contributed to improve the quality of the data that were searched for gravitational wave signals in the two latest science runs of the LIGO instruments. UMISS researchers and students also actively looked for signals in the instrument data stream and directly contributed to the preparation of some of LIGO's observational papers. Detector characterization work focused on development of new techniques to improve data quality and the performance of the LIGO instruments, investigation of disturbances of non-astrophysical origin in the detectors, and actively monitoring the instruments at the two LIGO sites. Theoretical studies focused on the physical properties of alternative models of star-like compact objects whose gravitational-wave emission could potentially be detected by LIGO or next-generation detectors. All these activities successfully contributed to LIGO science goals in the latest data collecting periods and to research and development of future, more sensitive detectors.
Broader impacts
The support provided under this award allowed UMISS researchers to develop educational material and create new public outreach initiatives. Faculty, post-docs and students coordinated educational and public outreach events reaching out to local, national and international communities. These activities included participation of UMISS senior researchers and students to science fairs and conferences as LIGO representatives, organization of science webcasts, development of public exhibits and art+science interdisciplinary events, and coordination of the educational and public outreach activities of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration through the leadership of the Principal Investigator. These initiatives provided citizens of all ages with more exposure to science and technology. This award also provided new research and mentoring opportunities to post-doctoral researchers and students who participated to the project.
Last Modified: 07/11/2012
Modified by: Marco Cavaglia
