Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2006 73rd Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the APS
Thursday–Saturday, November 9–11, 2006; Williamsburg, Virginia
Session EA: Searching for Gravitational Waves |
Hide Abstracts |
Chair: Joseph Giaime, Louisiana State University and LIGO-Livingston Room: Williamsburg Hospitality House Empire A/B |
Thursday, November 9, 2006 4:15PM - 4:45PM |
EA.00001: Status of LIGO Invited Speaker: Initial LIGO is now in the middle of a Science Run, its fifth, at design sensitivity. This talk will describe the configuration and operation of the LIGO detectors, commissioning milestones on the way to design sensitivity and remaining issues which impact performance. Plans for an enhancement to the initial configuration will be briefly described. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, November 9, 2006 4:45PM - 5:15PM |
EA.00002: Astrophysical Sources, Analysis Methods and Current Results in LIGO's Quest for Gravitational Waves Invited Speaker: The LIGO Scientific Collaboration has adopted a variety of data analysis techniques to target potential sources of gravitational waves, such as inspiraling binary systems, pulsars, transient bursts from core-collapse supernovae and the cosmological stochastic background. This talk provides an overview of these analysis methods and presents the most recent limits on the measurable rate of gravitational waves in LIGO. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, November 9, 2006 5:15PM - 5:45PM |
EA.00003: LISA Invited Speaker: The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint NASA/ESA mission to detect gravitational waves (GW) in the 0.1mHz to 1 Hz range. GW in this frequency range are generated by many exciting sources. Low mass galactic binaries are among the guaranteed LISA sources. In some cases we will be able to calculate the expected GW amplitude based on optical information. Some of these binaries will even be used to verify the interferometer response. Other binaries will form a GW background which will be difficult to resolve. Extreme mass ratio inspirals like a 10 solar mass black hole falling into a super-massive black hole (SMBH) will allow LISA to measure the multipol moments of the gravitational potential of the SMBH. This is considered the test particle case of general relativity. Mergers between super-massive black holes are among the most violent processes in the universe. These mergers were relatively common in the past and helped to form the universe as we know it now. LISA will measure the merger and will also be able to predict the merger and its sky position weeks in advance. This offers the chance to point classical telescopes in all EM-bands to the merger and have simultaneous observations. LISA will measure most of these signals and probably many others often with high signal to noise ratio. LISA will consist of three spacecraft in a triangular formation with a 5 Gm (16s light travel time) baseline. Each spacecraft will house two proof masses which form the end pieces of the LISA interferometer arms. In the sensitive direction, the proof masses will freely fall inside the spacecraft and the spacecraft are steered around their proof masses shielding them from all external forces except gravity. Laser interferometer will then measure the distances between opposite proof masses with 10pm/rtHz accuracy. I will give an overview of LISA sources, event rates, technology, and status of the project. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, November 9, 2006 5:45PM - 6:15PM |
EA.00004: Advanced LIGO: Development and Status Invited Speaker: The proposed Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO) should make the detection of gravitational waves from astrophysical sources a weekly event and usher in a new era of gravitational wave astronomy. The planned observatory will be a significant upgrade to the Initial LIGO observatory, which is now operational. Advanced LIGO will comprise a set of three nominally identical interferometric detectors at the two existing LIGO installations. At the most sensitive frequency, they should be more than an order of magnitude more sensitive to gravitational wave strain than Initial LIGO, and the detection band will be extended down to 10 Hz. We describe the technology for these detectors, which includes 180 watt lasers, advanced seismic isolation systems, and quadruple pendulum suspension systems. The pendulums support 40 kg test masses and employ very high quality optical materials and coatings. The interferometers will use both power and signal recycling, allowing the detectors to be tuned with a broad-band or narrow-band response. The current schedule predicts that the first Advanced LIGO detector will begin to search for gravitational waves in 2014. [Preview Abstract] |
Follow Us |
Engage
Become an APS Member |
My APS
Renew Membership |
Information for |
About APSThe American Physical Society (APS) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance the knowledge of physics. |
© 2024 American Physical Society
| All rights reserved | Terms of Use
| Contact Us
Headquarters
1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844
(301) 209-3200
Editorial Office
100 Motor Pkwy, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 591-4000
Office of Public Affairs
529 14th St NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20045-2001
(202) 662-8700