Scatter Coupling Studies at the LIGO Livingston Observatory

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Abstract:: As the latest generation of LIGO gravitational wave detectors approaches its first science run in the coming months, it is becoming increasingly important to specifically identify and target sources of noise, especially considering the large improvements expected from aLIGO's strain sensitivity levels. It is the purpose of this project to search for the sources of scattering noise at the LIGO Livingston Observatory in Livingston, LA. We are concentrating on finding acoustic couplings, as well as identifying the mechanisms where possible. Our main methods of searching for these sources involve applying injections from various sources on specific parts of the interferometer and observing the resulting effects on the signals detected from other parts of the interferometer. In assessing the effects of these injections, we look at the response in the differential arm signal and then use auxiliary channels to quantify the mechanisms responsible and their coupling parameters as much as possible. Using these techniques, we have determined the sources of several noise sources due to both linear and non-linear noise-creating mechanisms within the LIGO sensitive band. These tests will inform future work on reducing scatter coupling and noise sources.
Mentors: Anamaria Effler and Valery Frolov

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LIGO Document T1500285-v1