Collaborative Research: Enabling Megawatt Optical Power in Cosmic Explorer

合作研究：在宇宙探测器中实现兆瓦级光功率

• 批准号: 2309007
• 负责人: Stefan Ballmer
• 金额: $ 20.23万
• 依托单位: Syracuse University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2309007&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Enabling; Megawatt; Optical

Gravitational-wave astronomy has opened a new window on the universe. A century after Einstein predicted gravitational waves, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has rewarded decades of investment with the first direct observations of gravitational waves from merging black holes and neutron stars. Cosmic Explorer, a concept for a next-generation gravitational-wave observatory in the United States, aims to push the reach of gravitational-wave astronomy to the edge of the observable universe, using proven LIGO technology in a ten times larger facility. Cosmic Explorer will enable transformative discoveries across physics, astronomy, and cosmology, by observing black holes and neutron stars across cosmic time, probing the nature of the most extreme matter in the universe, and exploring questions in gravity and fundamental physics. This award supports research to design an adaptive optical sensing and controls system critical to enabling Cosmic Explorer. The success of Cosmic Explorer will reshape the field of gravitational-wave astrophysics and the futures of current early-career researchers. By clearing a key technological hurdle towards its realization, this award will ensure that gravitational-wave science continues inspiring young scientists across the country to fulfill their potential as the world-leading researchers of the future.To achieve its unprecedented sensitivity, Cosmic Explorer will require much higher circulating laser power (1.5 MW) than has ever been demonstrated in a large interferometer. The objective of this work is to enable laser interferometry at the megawatt scale, by developing the initial design of a Mode Sensing and Control system for Cosmic Explorer capable of overcoming the thermally-induced optical aberrations that limit current detectors. Specifically, Cosmic Explorer’s thermal compensation requirements will be modeled, documenting the degree to which known sources of wavefront error must be sensed and corrected to achieve the detector design sensitivity. Then, current and emerging technological options will be comprehensively assessed, making down-selections where possible, to deliver a detector subsystem conceptual design for optical mode sensing and control. This work supported by this award will feed into the overall detector design, ahead of a conceptual design review anticipated to take place roughly five years from the award start date.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

引力波天文学在宇宙上打开了一个新窗口。 - 统一的波浪天文台旨在将E天文学的范围推向可观察到的宇宙的边缘，使用PRON LIGO技术在更大的设施中，宇宙探险家将跨物理，天文学和自然时间，自然，自然，自然探索。在宇宙中最极端的物质，以及重力和基本物理学的研究。 AREAZATS离子，该奖项将使该国的Grave Scienues Coungss履行其未来的领先研究人员。为了使其未经表述的敏感性，Cosmic Explorer将需要在大型的大型激光器（1.5 MW）中比以往任何时候都表现出的大型循环激光。干涉仪的目标是在宇宙探索器的模式感应和控制系统上启用激光干涉，能够克服热诱导的光学aburractions，以限制电流探测器。 AVEFRONT误差会达到探测器设计敏感性，然后重新评估，在可能的情况下进行下调，在可能的情况下进行概念模式的传感和控制。奖励开始日期的Youars。此奖项反映了任务，并被认为是值得使用Tounlectul功能更广泛影响的评论标准的值得支持的。