Detector Characterization of the LIGO 40m Prototype Interferometer

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Abstract:: The Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (aLIGO) detectors will come online in the fall of 2015 with the goal of providing the first direct detection of gravitational waves. Detector characterization techniques, focused on the reduction of noise, are imperative to analyze and suppress noise to provide sufficient sensitivity for the detection of gravitational waves. Caltech houses the LIGO 40 meter prototype interferometer, a copy of the LIGO interferometers, providing the perfect playground to test and design novel detector characterization techniques for later implementation at the main sites. While summary pages, websites showing the state of the detector in real-time, are used to monitor the main detectors, the 40 meter prototype lacks many of these low-latency monitoring features. We incorporate new features into the 40 meter prototype summary pages in the hope of benefiting the entire LIGO community by providing real-time access to detector monitoring tools. Additionally, we develop basic tools to model Gaussianity of noise sources in a clear and visually meaningful display, open for addition to the summary pages.

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Notes and Changes:: Former title: Detector Characterization of a Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Detector

LIGO Document T1500123-v1