Wide Searches for Gravitational Wave Sources with LIGO detectors

This award supports research in relativity and relativistic astrophysics, and it addresses the priority areas of NSF's "Windows on the Universe" Big Idea. Gravitational waves (GW), predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity, are the ripples in the fabric of space-time created by relativistic astrophysical systems. In 2015 the NSF's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) made the first direct observation of gravitational waves confirming the major prediction of General Relativity and opening an unprecedented new window into the cosmos. This new observational channel probes the most unusual astrophysical objects in the Universe and promises to discover new and possibly unexpected astrophysical phenomena. In the next few years, hundreds of detections of GW sources are expected as LIGO reaches its design sensitivity and the other instruments join the worldwide network of gravitational wave detectors. Even higher detection rates are expected when the LIGO is fully upgraded to its A+ configuration. These experiments will address the key research questions including the formation and evolution of black holes and neutron stars, the role of compact objects in high energy emission, the properties of nuclear matter, the nature of gamma-ray bursts, and probe the structure and evolution of the Universe, and, possibly, physics beyond General Relativity. This award promotes science targeting observations of gravitational waves for a wide range of astrophysical systems, and the discovery of new GW sources. This award enhances the broader effort on education and training and provides unique educational and research opportunities for students and junior scientists.This award reinforces the success of the LIGO data analysis effort at the University of Florida and supports new innovative research projects that have the potential to produce transforming results. It targets the most extreme astrophysical events, such as recently discovered mergers of neutron stars and black holes and holds promise for discoveries of entirely new astrophysical objects. The GW searches supported by the award utilize detection and reconstruction algorithms, that use minimal model assumptions. They are capable of detecting GW signals in a wide range of source parameters, including yet unknown sources. Among the primary detection targets are the Intermediate Mass Black Holes (IMBH), dynamic binary black hole mergers, and core-collapse supernovae, whose observations will address many open questions in astrophysics. The project activities extend the most promising GW searches for compact binary sources into the binary parameter space not yet explored by the existing template algorithms. Searches supported by the award have the potential to study IMBH sources, constrain the pair-instability mass gap, look inside the galactic nuclei by detecting dynamic binaries, and test the theory of general relativity at the high field regime by comparing the reconstructed signal waveforms with the numerical relativity predictions. Rapid source reconstruction and sky localization promote joint observations with electromagnetic telescopes and neutrino detectors advancing the field of multi-messenger astronomy.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.