This Project Grant award, provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program, supports the design of an upgrade to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) to increase suspended test masses from 40 kg to 100 kg. The $150,000 award to Syracuse University aims to contribute to the design of enhanced actuation and calibration systems to accommodate the increased mirror mass while maximizing the sensitivity of...
This $150,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports research to develop new adaptive optical technology critical to extending the astrophysical reach of gravitational-wave detectors. The main goal is to improve the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors by a significant factor, expanding their detection horizon past a redshift of 5 and enabling new tests of strong-field gravity, cosmology, and dense...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $900,000 Project Grant to the University of Florida to conduct research supporting future gravitational-wave observatories under the NSF's "Windows on the Universe" Big Idea program. The research aims to contribute improvements to current LIGO detectors as well as develop technologies for third-generation gravitational-wave observatories. Key focus areas include high-power optical isolation, laser modulation, and suspension simulations...
This $126,999 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports research at the University of Oregon to characterize and mitigate environmental influences on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors. The goal is to increase the sensitivity of LIGO to enable new discoveries in gravitational wave astronomy and enhance our understanding of the universe. The research will focus on...
The National Science Foundation awarded the University of Maryland, College Park a $900,000 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to construct and demonstrate sensors for measuring extremely small variations in the local gravitational field. Specifically, the award will support building an assembly with two test masses to detect gravitational-wave signals in the mid-frequency range between ground-based detectors like LIGO and the planned space-based...
This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (CFDA 47.049 - Mathematical and Physical Sciences) provides $330,000.00 to the University of Washington to develop novel instrumentation that will improve the robustness and sensitivity of the LIGO gravitational wave observatories. Specifically, the award will fund research into broadband inertial rotation sensors, gravitational calibration systems, and optical alignment techniques to enhance the seismic isolation and calibration...
This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports research to develop techniques for assessing and mitigating local gravity disturbances that can impact the sensitivity of the Cosmic Explorer, the next-generation ground-based gravitational wave observatory in the U.S. The $214,449 award to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will fund the development of simulations and analysis of future...
This $200,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Physics will support the Oregon Experimental Relativity Group in monitoring, measuring, and mitigating environmental influences on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) through July 31, 2023. As part of the NSF's Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), which aims to advance scientific knowledge and understanding of major problems, the awardee will work with LIGO site...
This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) provides $139,844 to American University to develop and characterize AlGaAs coatings for gravitational-wave detectors used by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). The goal is to improve the sensitivity of LIGO's mirrors, enabling more frequent and higher-quality observations of gravitational waves. This will advance the understanding of...
This $600,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports research in gravitational wave astrophysics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The award will fund a team of scientists and students to advance LIGO (Laser Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Observatory) science by detecting, characterizing, and interpreting gravitational wave transients in LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data. Key objectives include improving...