Advancing Multi-Messenger Astrophysics with Gravitational-Wave Observations

This award supports the "New Messengers and New Physics" initiative, identified as a priority area by the Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020. Gravitational waves, the latest breakthrough in physics, have become accessible for study through NSF's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Since the landmark detection of gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger, the LIGO and Virgo detectors have observed hundreds of compact binary coalescences including binary black holes, binary neutron stars, and neutron star black holes. These observations facilitate extensive research, advancing our knowledge in fundamental physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. This award will advance multi-messenger astrophysics by increasing the number of joint observations and enhancing methods for joint analysis of gravitational wave and electromagnetic data, potentially leading to the next significant breakthrough in the field. The award will support summer undergraduate research fellows through Georgia Tech's NSF REU program and, in collaboration with other astrophysics faculty, develop an astrophysics curriculum for the Vertically Integrated Project, a program that provides opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research activities as part of a team. Additionally, the PI will organize astrophysics booths at the annual Atlanta Science Festival to engage the community with the latest findings and the excitement of gravitational-wave astronomy. Multi-messenger observations of compact binary mergers can significantly enhance our understanding of neutron star matter, and the physics of gamma-ray bursts and kilonovae, and serve as a tool for measuring the Universe's expansion and testing general relativity. Facilitating these observations and conducting low-latency analyses are top priorities as outlined in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Observational Science and Operations White Papers and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration Program. This project focuses on the crucial tasks needed to achieve these high-priority goals. Studies indicate that during the fifth observing run, with the A+ upgrades to the LIGO detectors scheduled to commence before the project's end, LIGO will likely detect several tens of binary neutron stars and neutron star–black holes annually, with a few detectable before they merge. With the current and forthcoming wide-field transient facilities, it will be possible to promptly observe these events electromagnetically. This award is vital to fully leverage the scientific potential of already funded observatories. 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.