Development of a parametric amplification method of a gravitational wave signal for the observation of a binary neutron star merger

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H02886
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Particle/Nuclear/Cosmic ray/Astro physics
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Somiya Kentaro 東京工業大学, 理学院, 准教授 (10582603)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 重力波 / 光バネ / 非線形光学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There have been 50 cases of gravitational-wave events reported since the first discovery accomplished by the LIGO telescope in 2015. A few of them are the events by binary neutron stars, which are expected to generate a 4-5kHz burst signal at the merger. Current telescopes, however, cannot observe the merger signal as their sensitivities in the band is not as good. In this research, we propose to implement a non-linear crystal for the parametric signal amplification process to enhance the opto-mechanical coupling and then to improve the sensitivity at the 4-5kHz. We built a signal-recycled interferometer and a Fabry-Perot cavity and have succeeded in demonstrating the parametric signal amplification and in observing the optical spring.

Free Research Field

重力波物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

重力波の初観測以降、次世代望遠鏡の計画が世界各地で始まっている。我々が全世界に先駆けて実施したパラメトリック信号増幅は国際的な注目をあび、ここ数年で類似の提案が相次いだ。そして、いくつかのプロトタイプ実験が行われ、次世代望遠鏡にそれらの技術を組み込むかどうかの議論が活性化している。現行の第二世代までは、欧米日の望遠鏡が同じ周波数帯での高感度化を目指したが、次世代では、それぞれが特徴を発揮して、さまざまな望遠鏡が実現していくだろう。本研究がもたらした意義はとても大きいと考えている。