NSF Org:	PHY Division Of Physics
Recipient:	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Initial Amendment Date:	June 12, 2003
Latest Amendment Date:	May 5, 2005
Award Number:	0244902
Award Instrument:	Continuing Grant
Program Manager:	Beverly K. Berger PHY  Division Of Physics MPS  Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Start Date:	June 15, 2003
End Date:	May 31, 2006 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$1,455,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$1,467,120.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2003 = $485,000.00 FY 2004 = $497,120.00 FY 2005 = $485,000.00
History of Investigator:	Guenakh Mitselmakher (Principal Investigator) mitselmakher@phys.ufl.edu David Tanner (Co-Principal Investigator) Bernard Whiting (Co-Principal Investigator) David Reitze (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of Florida 1523 UNION RD RM 207 GAINESVILLE FL  US  32611-1941 (352)392-3516
Sponsor Congressional District:	03
Primary Place of Performance:	University of Florida 1523 UNION RD RM 207 GAINESVILLE FL  US  32611-1941
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	03
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	NNFQH1JAPEP3
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	LIGO RESEARCH SUPPORT, EAPSI
Primary Program Source:	app-0103  app-0104  app-0105
Program Reference Code(s):	0000, 5936, 5980, OTHR
Program Element Code(s):	125200, 731600
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.049

ABSTRACT

Research and development for LIGO will be carried out in three main areas. First, the detailed design for the input optics of advanced LIGO will be developed, including extensive high-power testing of critical optical components such as modulators, Faraday isolators, and other transmissive optics. Some of this work will take place at the LIGO Livingston Laboratory. Methods for passive compensation of thermal lensing in these devices will be exploited, and devices constructed. Second, interferometer configurations will be studied. In collaboration with the University of Glasgow, a suspended, signal-recycled interferometer will be used as a testbed for the advanced LIGO interferometer. In addition the use of gratings as dispersive elements in optical cavities will be investigated. Third, data analysis and detector characterization algorithms will continue to be developed, in particular cross-correlation techniques for stochastic gravitational wave searches, wavelet-based algorithms for ``burst-like'' signal searches, continuing development of line-removal algorithms, and correlated noise studies.

Students associated with LIGO may become involved with sophisticated methods for extraction of signals from noise, computational schemes for manipulation of huge data sets, sophisticated techniques for control and stabilization of laser wavelength and beam quality, complex mechanical
engineering, advanced ultra high vacuum techniques, and many more, depending on individual interests. Moreover, the nature of the project makes these experiences available to undergraduate students as well as to graduate and postdoctoral students. Graduate students and postdoctoral
students in the UF LIGO group are working in areas of high demand in the outside technical community. Finally, the research in high performance modulators, isolators, and interferometric techniques, and the advanced computational techniques being developed for LIGO have the potential to impact other areas of technology in a favorable way.

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