This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The two aspects of the search for gravitational wave signals in LIGO data are the search for transient signals in the gravity wave channel, and veto analyses, which aim to eliminate signals that probably have terrestrial causes. The Louisiana Tech group is involved in veto analysis and following up on the transients found by the search codes that escape the first round of vetoes. The focus will be on using combinations of auxiliary channels that record environmental effects or problems within the interferometer. Studies by undergraduates will center on environmental factors that may cause problems in the interferometer such as transients in the overhead power lines.
The multi-channel veto approach has been shown to be very efficient in removing unwanted glitches from the data while not removing a genuine signal and thus will be an important component of LIGO's search for gravitational waves. This work will be carried out largely by a graduate student is on leave from a Historically Black College. She has been a valued instructor and role model there, and expects to return. The participation of even a few undergraduates has a ripple effect, making others aware of the research facility in their own state, and raising their sights in terms of future possibilities. Louisiana Tech will also host a Traveling LIGO Exhibit next year to broaden the horizons of teachers and high school students from north Louisiana, as well as informing the general public about science being done in this state.
