On May 19, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) will dedicate their second-generation gravitational-wave detectors (aLIGO) in a ceremony at the Hanford detector site. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) in Hannover and Potsdam, Germany, have made significant contributions in several key areas: custom-made high-power laser systems required for the high-precision measurements, efficient data analysis methods running on powerful computer clusters, and accurate waveform models to detect gravitational waves and extract astrophysical information. The AEI is a leading partner in the international gravitational-wave science community, and its researchers keep pushing the boundaries of science on the way to the first direct detection of gravitational waves.
This will open a new window to the otherwise invisible "dark" side of the universe and mark the beginning of gravitational-wave astronomy. Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time that are emitted by cataclysmic cosmic events such as exploding stars, merging black holes and/or neutron stars, and rapidly rotating compact stellar remnants. These waves were predicted in 1916 by Albert Einstein as a consequence of his general theory of relativity, but have never been observed directly. At their design sensitivity, the aLIGO instruments should detect multiple gravitational-wave events each year.
Developing Accurate Waveform Models and Extracting Unique Information from the Observed Waveforms
Using sophisticated analytical approximation methods to the general theory of relativity, AEI scientists develop accurate waveform models for the most promising gravitational-wave sources. "We have developed the most accurate waveform models so far of merging black holes. Together with our LSC colleagues we will conduct a search for those signals in the first aLIGO data-taking run in late 2015 using the Atlas cluster. Gravitational-wave observations of these systems will give us completely new insights into these otherwise invisible objects," says Prof. Alessandra Buonanno, director at the AEI in Potsdam. "The waveform models used for the upcoming search include the full coalescence process (inspiral, merger and ringdown) and for the first time they contain effects of the black holes' spins, which will improve the sensitivity and thereby our chances of detection." AEI scientists, in collaboration with LSC colleagues, have also prepared a follow-up analysis for the first observation run that will infer astrophysical parameters of the merging black holes.
Next Step: First Observation Run
aLIGO will start its first data-taking (observation) run "O1" in the autumn of 2015, bringing the era of gravitational-wave astronomy a large step closer to reality -- with key contributions from the Albert Einstein Institute.
