Calibrating the global network of gravitational wave observatories via laser power calibration

by Dr Dripta Bhattacharjee (Kenyon College)

Wednesday 23 Oct 2024, 16:30 → 17:10 Asia/Kolkata

Nearly 100 gravitational wave (GW) events have been detected by a network of GW detectors since the first detection in 2015. As we detect more and more signals with increasing signal-to-noise ratio, reduction in calibration uncertainties becomes imperative for optimally extracting the
astrophysical information encoded in the detected GW signals. The GW observatories  employ systems known as photon calibrators (Pcal) to
generate displacement fiducials at the 1x10^-17  m level via radiation pressure to provide accurate and precise absolute calibration at a sub-0.3% level. This talk will detail the recent techniques and formalisms implemented to achieve this unprecedented uncertainty on absolute calibration of the global network of gravitational wave detectors.

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