This award supports the Embry-Riddle Gravitational Wave Group to work closely with the LIGO Laboratory to measure and improve the thermal noise performance of test-coatings for Advanced LIGO. Modeling studies will also be performed to ensure that implications for the Advanced LIGO noise budget can be accurately assessed. Thermal noise from optical coatings limits the peak sensitivity of Advanced LIGO. Therefore, any improvement in thermal noise from optical coatings leads directly to an increase in the distance to which an astronomical event could be detected. This project builds on the PI's extensive experience with the characterization of thermal noise in the context of materials and suspensions for Advanced LIGO and development of the models for estimating the contribution of coating thermal noise to the detector noise budget. The current project will involve several undergraduate researchers at any given time. Direct interaction with front-line research projects such as this is of great importance to students and helps propel them along the path to a lifelong career in science. Coating thermal noise research is particularly exciting, since gains made have direct impact on Advanced LIGO's detection rate for gravitational waves. If the scientific goals of the coating project are met, the detection rate for signals in the frequency band limited by coating thermal noise roughly (50-250 Hz) is expected to rise from current estimates by a factor of two or more.
