This award supports the development and implementation of searches for continuous gravitational waves from the youngest neutron stars. It also supports related work on astrophysical guidance and interpretation of continuous-wave searches as they relate to neutron-star microphysics and gravitational-wave emission mechanisms. These searches will be among the few to reach astrophysically interesting sensitivities even with current LIGO data, and will help propel the transformation of LIGO from a prototype into a tool for exploring physics and astrophysics in the era of advanced detectors.
Detection of any gravitational wave signal will be a transformative breakthrough in fundamental physics and open up a new era of astronomy and astrophysics. A continuous-wave signal in particular will give a direct view into the otherwise inaccessible interior of a neutron star and the behavior of matter at supernuclear densities. This award supports the training of graduate and undergraduate students on the interfaces between gravitational physics, data analysis, astrophysics, and astronomy; and it supports public outreach through the www.ligo.org web site.
