PHYS 5387 - SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHYSICS

COURSE INFORMATION SHEET

COURSE:
PHYS 5391 - Special topics in Physics -Fall 2003
Prerequisite: UTB-UTEP Master in Physics
Description: Exploring parameter space for LISA Capture Sources via Monte-Carlo Simulations
INSTRUCTOR:
Manuela Campanelli
Office: SETB 2.258
Phone: 574-6656
E-mail: manuela@phys.utb.edu
TEACHING ASSISTANT:
Leor Barack
Office: SETB 2.258
Phone: 574-6762
E-mail: leor@phys.utb.edu
STUDENT:
Santiago Peña
CLASSES:
T,TH 1:30am-16:00pm. Room SETB 2.258 (Office Hrs by appointment).
EXAMS:
Final: December 9, 2003 (10:00am-12:30am).
COURSE TOPICS:
The course will aim at developing skills in the field of data analysis techniques in gravitational wave (GW) detection. A special focus will be put on data analysis of signals from extreme mass-ratio inspirals, which are important potential sources for the future space-based detector LISA. The material of the course includes: Classification and characteristics of GW sources. Approximate models of waveforms from captures of stellar mass objects by supermassive black holes. Search techniques, in particular ``matched filtering'' \cite{Ben,Cutler}. Monte-Carlo techniques (to be implemented in searching over the space of physical parameter).
LITERATURE:
1) S. A. Hughes, Listening to the Universe with Gravitational-Wave Astronomy, Annals Phys. 303, 142-178 (2003).
2) P. C. Peters and J. Mathews, Gravitational Radiation from Point Masses in a Keplerian Orbit, Phys.Rev.131, 435 (1963).
3) L. Barack and C. Cutler, LISA Capture Sources. I. Approximate Waveforms, Signal-to-Noise Ratios, and Parameter Estimation Accuracy (in preparation).
4) B. J. Owen, `Search templates from Gravitational Waves from Inspiraling Binaries: Choice of Template Spacing', Phys. Rev. D 53, 674.
5) C. Cutler, `Angular Resolution of the LISA Gravitational Wave Detector', Phys. Rev.57, 7089 (1998).9 (1996).