Multi-band multi-messenger astrophysics with LIGO, LISA and GOTO

3rd round - Future Leaders Fellowship

We will investigate how the changing nature of LIGO sensitivity affects the ability to accurately measure the properties of gravitational- wave signals and develop techniques to overcome periods of poor LIGO sensitivity. We will also look in to characterising LISA—the next generation of gravitational-wave detector. Another aspect of the fellowship will be to use GOTO in the hunt for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave events discovered by ground based gravitational-wave detectors.

Gravitational waves are invisible ripples in space which travel at the speed of light. They are emitted whenever an asymmetric object accelerates, with the strongest sources of detectable gravitational waves being from the collision of neutron stars and black holes. Both of these objects are created at the end of a massive star’s life.

There are three facilities I will use to conduct my research: the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observatory (GOTO). LIGO consists of two gravitational-wave detectors which are 3,000 kilometres apart in the USA. LISA is a future space-based detector due for launch in the 2030s. GOTO is an Earth-based optical telescope.

I will investigate is how the changing nature of LIGO sensitivity affects the ability to accurately measure the properties of gravitational-wave signals. I will also develop techniques to overcome periods of poor LIGO sensitivity. I will further look in to characterising the LISA detector, as well as hunt for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave events with GOTO.