Precision control of a laser interferometric gravitational wave antenna

by Dr Kiwamu Izumi (LIGO Hanford Observatory, USA)

Friday 19 Aug 2016, 11:30 → 12:30 Asia/Kolkata

A269 (TIFR)

We are entering an exciting era in which gravitational waves can be detected routinely. The advanced LIGO interferometers reached a strain sensitivity of 8e-24/sqrtHz at around 100 Hz which allowed us for detecting GW150914. To get to such high sensitivity, advanced LIGO had to conquer a number of technical challenges in its interferometric control. In this talk, I will talk about lock acquisition of the advanced LIGO interferometers, which had been a big concern but is now largely addressed by introducing auxiliary 532 nm lasers, and various simulation studies in an effort to achieve low noise and stable control of the interferometers