CSU researchers receive grant to study gravity waves

FORT COLLINS – A team of mathematicians and physicists from Colorado
State University, Caltech and the University of California at San Diego
have been awarded a $1.1 million, three-year Focused Research Group
grant from the National Science Foundation. The goal of the project is
to develop mathematical methods for estimating and controlling the error
in computed gravity waves detected in space.

Cosmic gravitational waves are ripples in the space and time fabric
produced by violent events in the distant universe, such as the
collision of two black holes or shockwaves from the cores of supernova
explosions. Gravitational waves are emitted by accelerating masses and
then travel toward Earth, carrying information about their origins and
valuable clues about the nature of gravity.

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By the time they arrive, gravitational waves are very weak, and are
detected and measured by the NSF-funded Laser Interferometer
Gravitational Observatory, or LIGO, project from different locations
across the United States. By coordinating signals at the detectors,
gravity wave structure can be measured.

Don Estep, University Interdisciplinary Research Scholar and professor
of statistics at CSU, is principal investigator of the project.

“Gravitational waves are not directly detected,” Estep said. “Instead,
we must solve a set of very complicated nonlinear mathematical equations
posed on a four-dimensional space-time manifold using the LIGO data.
The project goal is to quantify and control the error in LIGO results.
This is absolutely essential for the LIGO project to be successful.”

This is the first FRG grant for CSU, and it will be used to build a
focused team of investigators, postdoctorates, and graduate students at
the three universities.

Each year, only 10 to 15 FRG awards are made from hundreds of applicants.