Dear colleague,
We are writing to you about some news that you might be interested in with respect to LIGO and Virgo observing runs.
In the expectation of regular future gravitational wave detections, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and the Virgo Collaboration are seeking the help of numerical relativity groups in validating and interpreting gravitational wave signals. The immediate goal is rapid production of simulations of binary black hole coalescences in response to future detections. Gravitational waveforms from these simulations will be used to quantify accuracy of analytical waveform models, and in studies of systematic biases in parameter estimation and tests of general relativity. The simulations may also provide visualizations of binary black holes for outreach purposes. For details please see: (https://dcc.ligo.org/LIGO-T1600380/public)
Participating groups will join the LIGO Scientific Collaboration or the Virgo collaboration following rules of each collaboration; for joining LSC as a member see (http://ligo.org/about/join.php) or email gabriela.gonzalez[AT]ligo.org; for signing a memorandum of understanding focused on this specific subject with Virgo (http://ww.virgo-gw.eu) e-mail fulvio.ricci[AT]roma1.infn.it. Joining groups will perform simulations, coordinated within the LVC working groups ‘Compact Binary Coalescence’ and ‘Burst’.
Given the rapid flux in the emerging field of gravitational wave astronomy, the scope of this announcement is limited to the second observing run, which is scheduled to run approximately from December 2016 to mid-2017. This call for membership is primarily targeting vacuum general relativity. If interested please contact the LIGO or Virgo spokespersons as soon as possible. Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues or recommend names of other groups that may be interested. Thanks in advance for your interest.
Gabriela Gonzalez (LIGO Scientific Collaboration spokesperson)
Fulvio Ricci (Virgo Collaboration spokesperson)