GWASTRO · Realizing the promise of gravitational wave astronomy
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-07-01 → 2023-06-30
- EU contribution
- €162,806
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Realizing the promise of gravitational wave astronomy
The detectors LIGO and Virgo hunt for gravitational waves from orbiting black holes and neutron stars; these compact objects lose energy through gravitational waves, spiral in towards each other and eventually merge. To analyze the data from the detections, it is crucial to have an accurate model of the expected gravitational waves. The merger process is highly dynamical and numerical simulations involving the Einstein equations are the only means to predict the gravitational waves from the merger. However, these simulations are too expensive for direct data analysis applications, each taking a month on a supercomputer. Therefore, fast but approximate waveform models that are calibrated against these simulations have been developed over the years, but these models do not currently capture all of the physics present in the simulations. Surrogate models take a data-driven approach to modeling, and are trained directly against numerical simulations without the need for additional assumptions. As a result, these models can rival the simulations themselves in accuracy. The main objective of this project is to develop novel surrogate models that capture the full physics of compact binary systems. Accurate models like this are necessary to maximize the output of our detectors for applications like black hole astrophysics, cosmology, understanding the neutron star equation of state, and fundamental tests of Einstein's general relativity.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The era of gravitational wave astronomy has begun and has the potential to redefine our knowledge of the Universe. LIGO and Virgo are the most precise instruments ever built, but this is only the beginning for this field. The detectors are becoming ever more sensitive, and the next generation of detectors are already being planned. Coupled with these trailblazing experimental efforts, the promise of gravitational wave astronomy can only be fully realized if our models can keep up with the accuracy demands of the imminent high-precision era.LIGO and Virgo hunt for gravitational waves from orbiting black holes and neutron stars; these compact objects lose energy through gravitational waves, spiral in towards each other and eventually merge. To analyze the data from the detections, it is crucial to have an accurate model of the expected gravitational waves. The merger process is highly dynamical and numerical simulations involving the Einstein equations are the only means to predict the gravitational waves from the merger. However, these simulations are too expensive for direct data analysis applications, each taking a month on a supercomputer. Therefore, fast but approximate waveform models that are calibrated against these simulations have been developed over the years, but these models do not currently capture all of the physics present in the simulations.Surrogate models take a data-driven approach to modeling, and are trained directly against numerical simulations without the need for additional assumptions. As a result, these models can even rival the simulations themselves in accuracy. In this project, I will develop novel surrogate models that capture the full physics of compact binary systems. Therefore, this project will ensure that our gravitational wave models are ready to maximize the science output of the multi-billion-Euro experimental efforts and realize the great promise of gravitational wave astronomy.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV · MUNCHENCoordinatorGermany
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union