| NSF Org: |
PHY Division Of Physics |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 5, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 5, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1836734 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard 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 15, 2018 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $211,283.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $211,283.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1121 N STATE COLLEGE BLVD FULLERTON CA US 92831-3014 (657)278-2106 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
800 N State College Blvd, MH-601 Fullerton CA US 92831-3457 |
| 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 |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| 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 NSF's Advanced LIGO and the European Virgo observatory have established a new era in astronomy. The discoveries made by these second-generation gravitational-wave detectors have had a transformative impact, even though they are only able to observe a small fraction of the Universe. Taking full advantage of the rich promise of gravitational-wave astronomy will require a new network of third-generation detectors that can survey the Universe on its largest scales to provide answers to questions of broad interest in astrophysics, cosmology, fundamental physics, and nuclear physics. This award funds U.S. participation in the international effort to develop a third-generation gravitational-wave network; initiate a coordinated program to study third-generation gravitational-wave science targets, networks, and detector configurations; and support the U.S. role in planning the future of gravitational-wave astronomy. Third-generation detectors will expand humanity's ability to listen to the cosmic symphony of gravitational waves out to the very edge of the Universe. This award broadens opportunities for underrepresented students and provides students and postdocs with exposure to cutting-edge instrument technology, as well as project planning and management opportunities, positioning them well for scientific leadership positions. The technology development required to realize a next-generation detector will expand collaboration with and drive improvements in industry.
This award leverages the decades-long investment by the NSF in LIGO and will position the U.S. to be a leadership partner in the future of gravitational-wave astronomy and physics. It will fund an effort to: (i) work with the Gravitational Wave International Committee (GWIC) to develop and document the international community's vision for third-generation science; (ii) extend the catalog of third-generation candidate detector designs, exploring configurations that were not included in previous international studies like the European Einstein Telescope; (iii) produce parametric cost estimates for the configurations that are identified; (iv) explore pathways to achieving a successful third-generation global network; and (v) define metrics for the network's discovery potential as a function of cost.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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.
Albert Einstein predicted gravitational waves, ripples of warped spacetime that travel at the speed of light, over a century ago. In 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) opened a new window on the universe by directly observing gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes. Since then, LIGO and its international partners, Virgo and Kagra, have continued observing with greater sensitivity, yielding dozens of observations of merging black holes and neutron stars and enabling electromagnetic and astroparticle followup associations. Development is underway toward a next generation of observatories that would build upon LIGO-Virgo-Kagra’s successes and greatly extend humanity’s access to the gravitational-wave universe.
This award supported a “Horizon Study'' of Cosmic Explorer, a next-generation, US-based observatory. With a 40km-long baseline (compared with LIGO’s 4km) and ten times the sensitivity of Advanced LIGO, Cosmic Explorer will push the reach of gravitational-wave astronomy towards the edge of the observable universe (to redshifts of z ∼ 100). The award team worked with the broader scientific community to identify the key science questions that will be answered by Cosmic Explorer, to produce a design concept for the observatories, and to evaluate the scientific effectiveness of different designs versus costs. The team also developed cost estimates and timelines for the project and first plans for data management, community, organization, and planning. All of these topics were described in the Cosmic Explorer Horizon Study, a primary outcome of this award, which was released to the scientific public in August 2021 (https://dcc.cosmicexplorer.org/CE-P2100003/public).
Through this award, significant progress was also made on research, development and engineering associated with Cosmic Explorer. A preliminary search was carried out for sites in the United States that could be suitable for hosting Cosmic Explorer, though much more information remains to be gathered. The preliminary cost estimates in the Horizon Study were based on a few of the most promising sites. An engineering study of potential vacuum system designs was carried out, with coated mild steel emerging as a promising option. A reassessment of sources of noise that will limit Cosmic Explorer’s sensitivity was carried out and incorporated into the Horizon Study. New estimates of computing requirements for compact binary science were completed. And aspects of the astrophysical sources of gravitational waves that will be observable with Cosmic Explorer were investigated.
This project involved undergraduate and masters students from California State University Fullerton, a primarily undergraduate and Hispanic-serving institution, in gravitational-wave research, education, and outreach. The project also involved graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from all institutions on these activities. Through these projects these participants have taken place in a highly visible effort toward the next generation of US-based gravitational-wave observatories and have developed skills such as data analysis, noise analysis, and computing that will be transferable to the STEM workforce. This award also supported fostering a community associated with Cosmic Explorer including the establishment of the Cosmic Explorer Consortium, which has more than 200 members, the First Cosmic Explorer Conference, and presentations and panels at national and international conferences.
Last Modified: 11/24/2021
Modified by: Geoffrey Lovelace
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