2021-2022 Faculty Research Grants

Tiffany Summerscales (Physics)

Studying LIGO Glitches with Gravity Spy.

The LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors have successfully measured the gravitational waves produced by pairs of compact stellar remnants comprised of black holes and neutron stars.  These measurements have provided rich information not only about individual astronomical objects but about their histories and population properties.  In order to maximize these scientific benefits of gravitational wave astronomy, sources of detector noise must be reduced so the maximum number of detections can be made with confidence.  An especially troublesome type of noise are short (<1 second) duration transients, known as “glitches” which can mimic or obscure a gravitational wave signal.  Gravity Spy is a project combining machine learning with citizen science used to classify glitches.  Once groups of glitches with a common source have been identified, the source can often be eliminated and the numbers of glitches reduced.  The Andrews LIGO research group has joined the effort to understand Gravity Spy glitches and identify their sources.