This award supports a theoretical program (i) to make precise predictions of the gravitational wave signal emitted by astrophysical sources, notably compact binaries, and cosmological sources, (ii) to use these predictions to design reliable templates and employ them for the search of gravitational waves with LIGO detectors and (iii) to explore and conceive new optical configurations of future GW detectors operating at and below the standard quantum limit. The research in general relativity will use post-Newtonian techniques to predict more accurately the dynamics and the GW signals for precessing, spinning, and eccentric compact binaries. The research in phenomenology and data-analysis, at the interface between LIGO experiment and theory, will use results from the general relativistic research to implement and test (with real data) the performance of phenomenological and physical templates, study the estimation of parameters for compact binaries, develop data analysis algorithms for spinning precessing binaries, eccentric binaries and low-mass X-ray binaries. It will also investigate the accessibility of LIGO and Advanced LIGO to gravitational waves from the early Universe. The research at the interface between the LIGO experiment and high-precision measurement theory will study noise sources that affect LIGO detectors and propose techniques to control or go around them. The major sources of noise and methods to be investigated are: optical losses in signal-recycling cavity for Advanced LIGO; opto-mechanical instability in signal-recycled interferometers, quantum-optical noise in Advanced LIGO and future gravitational wave detectors and quantum control theory and quantum non-demolition techniques. The main goal of the supported research is to help the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) to succeed in detecting gravitational waves. The research will have an impact on detecting gravitational waves with LIGO, improve the ability to extract from observed waves unique information that the waves carry, test fundamental equations of general relativity and, by providing designs for more and more sensitive detectors, contribute in driving the field toward GW astronomy. In addition, the research will train young theoretical physicists through support for graduate students and postdocs.
