Collaborative Research: An Empirical Blueprint for the Gravitational-Wave Background

合作研究：引力波背景的经验蓝图

• 批准号: 2414468
• 负责人: Chiara Mingarelli
• 金额: $ 31.31万
• 依托单位: Yale University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-15 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2414468&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Empirical; Blueprint; Gravitational

Orbiting supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies are thought to produce very low frequency gravitational waves that could be detected by careful timing of the arrival of radio pulses from pulsars through the ongoing pulsar timing array project. It is expected that the combined signals from many of these systems will produce a background noise that may soon be detectable by pulsar timing arrays. This project will use a new method based on observations of accreting supermassive black holes to provide an estimate of the strength of this background noise as well as it's distribution in gravitational wave frequencies. The project will use this new method to provide a framework for determining the history of the growth of supermassive black holes once the background noise is detected. The project will also create a Pulsar Search Collaboratory hub in New Jersey and New York that will involve high school students in the search for pulsars using real data. This award advances the goals of the Windows on the Universe Big Idea.The project will use observations of quasar luminosity functions at different redshifts combined with local observations of dual Active Galactic Nuclei to build an empirically-based model of the cosmological distribution of supermassive black hole binaries that will contribute to the stochastic gravitational wave background expected to be detected in pulsar timing array observation. This approach is complementary to the existing approach that is based on galaxy merger simulations. The new approach will determine key physical parameters that can be constrained through detection of the gravitational wave background. The project will also create a Pulsar Search Collaboratory hub in New Jersey and New York. The Pulsar Search Collaboratory is a long-standing NSF supported program that allows high schools students to search for pulsars with real radio data. It is a low-barrier way for students to experience science and scientific discovery.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.

人们认为，星系中心绕轨道运行的超大质量黑洞会产生频率极低的引力波，通过正在进行的脉冲星计时阵列项目，对来自脉冲星的射电脉冲的到达进行仔细计时，可以检测到这些引力波。预计来自许多这些系统的组合信号将产生背景噪声，脉冲星计时阵列可能很快就能检测到这种背景噪声。该项目将使用一种基于吸积超大质量黑洞观测的新方法来估计这种背景噪声的强度及其在引力波频率中的分布。该项目将使用这种新方法提供一个框架，用于在检测到背景噪声后确定超大质量黑洞的生长历史。该项目还将在新泽西州和纽约创建一个脉冲星搜索合作中心，让高中生使用真实数据搜索脉冲星。该奖项推进了“宇宙之窗”大构想的目标。该项目将利用对不同红移处类星体光度函数的观测，结合对双活动星系核的局部观测，建立一个基于经验的超大质量黑洞宇宙学分布模型将有助于脉冲星定时阵列观测中探测到的随机引力波背景的双星。这种方法是对基于星系合并模拟的现有方法的补充。新方法将确定可以通过检测引力波背景来约束的关键物理参数。该项目还将在新泽西州和纽约创建一个 Pulsar 搜索合作中心。脉冲星搜索合作实验室是一个由美国国家科学基金会长期支持的项目，允许高中生利用真实的无线电数据搜索脉冲星。这是学生体验科学和科学发现的一种低门槛方式。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。