Observing compact binary mergers in the latest LVK observing runs

In May 2023 the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave resumed operations and began the fourth gravitational-wave observing run. This will run until late 2025, before upgrades in advance of the fifth observing run in 2027.

During these observing runs it is expected that these observatories will observe hundreds of colliding black holes and/or neutron stars.

It is also strongly expected that there will be multiple "multi-messenger" observations: neutron star mergers observed both with gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observatories. In this project the PhD student will work with one of the leading LVK analysis codes--PyCBC--to observe these sources.

PyCBC will target two types of analysis. The first will be run in real time to identify compact binary mergers within 60 seconds of the data be taken.

This rapid analysis will enable electromagnetic telescopes to be pointed at the location of merger events, and potentially observe electromagnetic counterparts.

We will also attempt to observe binary neutron star mergers before the the neutron stars have collided to maximize the potential for multi-messenger science.

PyCBC will also run an archival analysis, months after the data is taken, to best combine our knowledge of the instruments and the sources we are looking for to provide a definitive list of observations in the data.

Later in the PhD, when the instruments are not operating, we will use the skills developed to exploit the science potential of the new observations and explore how they impact our knowledge of the astrophysics behind compact binary mergers.