The ANU Centre for Gravitational Physics is located within the Department of Physics, which is a part of the College of Science at the ANU. We are a member institution of the Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational wave Astronomy (ACIGA). Most of the research in the group is directed towards gravitational wave detection, the related area of macroscopic quantum measurement and the exploitation of gravitational waves for astronomy. We are members of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and are taking on specific responsibilities in the design and construction of Advanced LIGO (AdvLIGO). Our specific research interests include advanced interferometer configurations and control systems, measurement of thermal and quantum noise, quantum noise cancellation and QND techniques, data analysis, digital interferometry and frequency stabilization for LISA. For further information on our research please have a look at the Research page. The group has a purpose built laboratory for experimental work, as well as a beowolf computer cluster. The group also has links with the Quantum Optics group in the Department of Physics and Theoretical Physics at the ANU.
The Centre for Gravitational Physics Group
Located at the western end of the ANU Physics Department (Building 38b) the facility includes a laboratory, clean-down room, plant room, control room, office space and seminar facilities. The lab boasts a 12mx12m clean room with an isolated concrete slab and a 2 tonne gantry crane for the installation of UWA designed suspension and vacuum systems. A filtered air conditioning system maintains the temperature to within 1 degree over a twenty four hour period. A photo of the facility is shown below.
In addition to the laboratory the ANU CGP operates a beowolf computer cluster consisting of ten nodes and three servers (running Linux OS). This system is used for running LDAS (LIGO Data Analysis System) on LIGO data for development purposes. We use APAC facilities and supercomputers at Caltech and the Albert Einstein Institute to run searches for gravitational waves in LIGO data.
Last Updated: 25 November 2008
Feedback: sheon.chua@anu.edu.au