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International Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Department of Physics

Cardiff University, Wales

Proposed Projects

  • Development of the KAGRA simulation GUI tool:
    In the next observing run, the KAGRA detector plans to be operated in the full optical configuration, dual-recycled Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometer (DRFPMI). However, the lock acquisition of the full configuration has not been successful yet. To accelerate the detector commissioning, a graphical user interface (GUI) tool has been developed so that the commissioners can model interferometer sensing signals, optical responses, and sensitivities without knowing any simulation syntax. This project involves module developments to be implemented in the GUI tool.
    Mentor:Keiko Kokeyama

 

  • A high power, high bandwidth, low noise photodetector for precision interferometry
    Laser interferometers have long been used to probe fundamental physics phenomena, from disproving the existence of the theorized ether well over a hundred years ago to making the first direct detections of gravitational waves in recent years. Given the extraordinary measurement precision that can be achieved with the latest technological advances in laser interferometer design, they can now also be used to search for potential quantization of spacetime, ultra-high frequency gravitational waves and dark matter.
    We are building such an advanced interferometer in our lab at Cardiff University. A critical aspect of this project is the requirement for a photodetector that can simultaneously handle high laser power (20 mW) and have a high bandwidth (1 MHz – 200 MHz). The student will modify existing photodetectors and potentially incorporate them in the experiment. This project will require the student to learn fundamentals of precision measurement, such as transfer functions and noise measurements, and some elements of electronic circuit design.
    Mentors:Dr. Katherine Dooley, Prof. Hartmut Grote

 

  • Reconstructing the gravitational-wave signature of supernovae and GRBs:
    Gravitational waves from events like core-collapse supernova and gamma-ray bursts will offer a unique probe of the complicated physics driving these relativistic phenomena. To extract the maximum scientific benefit from these objects we need to be able to reconstruct the gravitational-wave signal from the background noise of the detectors. The goal of this project is to study the performance of waveform-reconstruction techniques at recovering realistic gravitational wave signals of supernovae and gamma-ray bursts from data from the LIGO-Virgo network of gravitational-wave detectors.
    Mentor: Patrick Sutton

Related Project 2009: “Principle Component Analysis Decomposition of Core Collapse Supernovae Gravitational Waveforms”
Related Project 2010: “Search for Gravitational Waves from Rotating Core Collapse Supernova using Principal Component Analysis”
Related Project 2013: “Reconstructing the Gravitational Wave Signal of Supernovae”
Related Project 2014: “Single Detector Gravitational Wave Detection Using Multivariate Analysis”