Award Abstract # 1707668
Improving Data Quality of Advanced LIGO Gravitational-Wave Searches

NSF Org: PHY
Division Of Physics
Recipient: THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
Initial Amendment Date: June 14, 2017
Latest Amendment Date: June 26, 2018
Award Number: 1707668
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: August 1, 2017
End Date: February 28, 2019 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $360,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $240,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2017 = $11,819.00
FY 2018 = $0.00
History of Investigator:
  • Marco Cavaglia (Principal Investigator)
    cavagliam@gmail.com
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Mississippi
113 FALKNER
UNIVERSITY
MS  US  38677-9704
(662)915-7482
Sponsor Congressional District: 01
Primary Place of Performance: University of Mississippi
PO BOX 1848
UNIVERSITY
MS  US  38677-1848
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
01
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): G1THVER8BNL4
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): LIGO RESEARCH SUPPORT
Primary Program Source: 01001718DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
01001819DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01001920DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 9150
Program Element Code(s): 125200
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.049

ABSTRACT

This award focuses on a specific task which is mission critical for the success of gravitational-wave astrophysics in the next few years: the improvement of data quality collected by the LIGO Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors in future observing runs. Research will focus on (1) using existing techniques to identify and remove non-astrophysical noise in the data stream, and (2) developing new methods to build predictive models for detector noise. Broader impacts on the development of gravitational-wave astrophysics will consist in improving LIGO's search pipelines and the performance of the detectors. Educational and public outreach initiatives will strengthen programs aimed at yielding knowledgeable teachers with enough physics content to effectively teach physics courses in school. New initiatives to promote science among diverse segments of the population will be developed through collaborations with educators in other disciplines.

Removing non-astrophysical artifacts from gravitational-wave data is crucial for reducing instrumental noise non-stationarity, extending the detector network duty cycle, and increasing the statistical significance of gravitational-wave candidate events. Improvements in these areas, in turn, boost parameter estimation of the gravitational-wave detections and enable refined astrophysical interpretations of the signals. Personnel funded under this award will analyze data from LIGO detector output and auxiliary sensors with the goal to isolate and identify sources of noise affecting LIGO's gravitational-wave searches. Results from these investigations will be fed back to LIGO Laboratory commissioners and instrumentation researchers to assist in the mitigation of instrumental and environmental disturbances. At the same time, Mississippi students and researchers will develop new, fast, reliable and accurate methods to model instrumental noise in interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. Machine learning-based algorithms, such as genetic programming, will be used to build predictive models to uncover the origin of non-astrophysical noise in the detectors.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Elena Cuoco (Valencia U., IFIC) "Strategy for signal classification to improve data quality for Advanced Detectors gravitational-wave searches" Proceedings, 11th Workshop on Science with the New generation of High Energy Gamma-ray Experiments (SciNeGHE 2016) : Pisa, Italy, October 18-21, 2016 , v.Nuovo C , 2018 10.1393/ncc/i2017-17124-4 Citation Details

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