This award supports research in gravitational wave science and it addresses the priority areas of NSF's "Windows on the Universe" Big Idea. Starting with the initial detection of gravitational waves (GW) from a binary black hole merger by The Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and the French-Italian Virgo detector, and continuing with the first detection of GWs from a binary neutron star merger, GW170817, associated with a gamma-ray burst (GRB), GRB 170817A, the era of true GW multimessenger astronomy has begun. The electromagnetic follow-up campaign of this event discovered associated afterglows across the electromagnetic spectrum, and has had a significant impact on the understanding of the progenitors of short GRBs, kilonovae, and the interior state of neutron stars. This award supports an integrated research and education plan focusing on the continued search for GWs associated with extreme energy astronomical events, including GRBs and fast radio bursts (FRB), over the period when the worldwide GW detector network will expand from 3 to 5 detectors, and their sensitive range will increase significantly. This expansion of capabilities will greatly increase the capability of GW astronomy to probe deeply into the sources of these events and uncover the details of their creation. The award supports both undergraduate and master's student researchers in conducting these searches, continuing analysis of detector and search performance, and engaging the Hampton Roads, VA community through four annual outreach events held at the local Virginia Living Museum. These outreach events will be tied to an existing free skygazing program and provide an opportunity for hundreds of members of the local community to learn about multimessenger astronomy in an engaging, active learning setting with both hands-on demonstrations and a combination lecture-demonstration show. The award supports the development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce through the engagement of students of all ages at these events and the training of undergraduate and master’s students to become competent scientific researchers able to conduct research at the internationally recognized level as the next generation of gravitational-wave astronomers.
As was demonstrated with the multi-messenger observations of GW170817, combined detections of GWs with electromagnetic detections have significantly advanced the understanding of the astrophysics of high-energy events. Additional detections of GWs associated with GRBs in the fourth and fifth observing runs of LIGO, Virgo, Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA), and LIGO-India data will enable the astrophysical properties of neutron stars and the full electromagnetic emission model for binary neutron star merger sources to be far better constrained. Any detection of a GW associated with a FRB would result in a significant increase in the understanding of the astrophysical origin of these mysterious events. FRB progenitor models are very poorly constrained, and the recent observation of an FRB associated with magnetar SGR 1935+2154 have pointed to a potential for multiple populations. If no coincident detections are made in this search, it will better constrain models of the FRB progenitors. Finally, improved sensitivity of the LIGO interferometers through continued detector characterization efforts will directly result in an increased number of GWs detected. The award supports both prompt and higher latency, deeper searches for GWs associated with GRBs using the PyGRB data analysis pipeline, which conducts coherent, matched-filter searches that extend the effective sensitivity of the GW detection network. Prompt searches will allow detected GWs to be announced to the astronomical community for immediate follow-up. The award also supports both template-based searches and unmodeled searches for GWs associated with FRBs, and leadership of the effort to characterize the noise in the LIGO interferometers that impacts the GRB and FRB searches, with the particular focus on improving search sensitivity and assessing the validity of the GW detections. The integration of the methods and results of this research into a campaign of four annual outreach events to be held at the local Virginia Living Museum will not only increase public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology, but will also instill the importance of engaging the public in the participating research students. Through training students and public engagement in a diverse city, this work also broadens the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in science.
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.
