Weekly Report for Week Ending 6 August 2009


LSC

Administration

Hanford Observatory

Livingston Observatory

Optical & Mechanical

Controls and Data Systems

40 Meter Facility

TNI

LASTI

CIT Science Group

Laboratory Computing

Adv. LIGO Development & Project

Past Weekly Reports


There will be no meeting of the LIGO Executive Committee on Monday 10 August 2009 due to the Staffing Committee meeting scheduled at that time.

Calendar of future Executive Commitee Meetings


LSC Issues (Reitze)


LIGO Laboratory Administration (Lindquist)


PROPERTY ACCOUNTING (Luna)

>From: Rod Luna <rluna@ligo.caltech.edu>

DOCUMENT CONTROL CENTER (Mak)

>From Cleveland Mak <mak@ligo.caltech.edu>

FINANCIAL SYSTEMS (Lindquist, Oracion)

>From: Karl Oracion <koracion@ligo.caltech.edu>

SUBCONTRACTS MANAGEMENT (Arvizu, Champagnie, Jasnow, Marroquin, Salone)

>From: Rudy Arvizu <arvizu_r@ligo.caltech.edu>

>From: Jacqueline Champagnie and Gina Salone

>From: Steve Marroquin smarroqu@caltech.edu

>From: Ed Jasnow <jasnow@ligo.caltech.edu>

PROPOSALS and REPORTS (Lindquist, Beckett)

We have the financial data for LIGO Opeartions for the end of July.  No major changes in the overall projection-to-complete.  We are preparing analyses in prepa=ration for the Financial Review scheduled for the Executive Committee on August 17.

> From Dave Beckett <beckett@ligo.caltech.edu>

CHANGE REQUESTS (Lindquist)

HUMAN RESOURCES (Akutagawa)

>From: Cindy Akutagawa <cindy@ligo.caltech.edu>


Quality/Safety (Nolting)

ADVANCED LIGO SAFETY IS BEING REPORTED UNDER ADVANCED LIGO, BELOW


LIGO Hanford Observatory (LHO) and Interferometer Operations (Raab)

Summary of Activities at LIGO Hanford Observatory
(compiled by M. Landry)

Squeezer Update (D. Sigg and S. Dwyer)

Outreach (D. Ingram)


LIGO Livingston Observatory (LLO) and Interferometer Operations (Giaime)

LLO CDS (Keith Thorne):

Hardware

Software

LLO outreach (William Katzman):

(Amber Stuver)

LIGO computing and network security (Roddy)

Reported under General Computing, see below

General computing and LDAS admin (Giardina)

Reported under General Computing, see below

Reported under LDAS System Administration, see below

Data analysis & computing (Yakushin)

Storage/Condor/LDAS admin:

Reported under LDAS System Administration, see below

Data analysis:

Reported under Data Analysis activities, see below


Mechanical and Optical Systems (Coyne)

See also Advanced LIGO

Riccardo DeSalvo


Controls and Data Systems (Bork)

See Advanced LIGO


40-Meter Interferometer (Adhikari)

No report provided.


Thermal Noise Interferometer (Black)


LASTI (Mittleman)

QUAD

Monolithic

LASTI


CIT Science Group (Weinstein)

__________
Drew Keppel:
- adding FAR extrapolation code to lalapps_newcorse, examples of which
can be seen at https://www.lsc-group.phys.uwm.edu/ligovirgo/cbcnote/InspiralPipelineDevelopment/090723162038InspiralPipelineDevelopmentFAR_extrapolation
- updating ligolw_thinca to construct n-tuple coincident triggers from
the minimum sets of n-1-tuple coincident trigger (3 is the minimum)
- updating the massive graviton fischer matrix bound to use Ajith's
new spinning SPA waveforms with the spin parameter set to zero
__________
Antony Searle:

* Revising and testing Bayesian followup with SURF Munier Salem
* Writing paper on fast implementation of Bayesian statistic
__________
Cristina Valeria Torres:

(*) Continuing to improve the follow up pipeline to consolidate more
follow up information onto the checklists and lower burden on the follow
up investigator to search of information. †We need to introduce
backwards compatibility also since there are still some pending S5
followups.
(*) I have also worked with my student on the AUTOTRACK case study, we
are encouraged by the results we have achieved so far. †It appears that
we need to adjust the auto classification parameters but the results
roughly correspond to the existing S5 DQ flags, for the case study being
performed, this is a great sign.
(*) Tracking the TCS drum head modes seems possible using an OMC channel
as a result to further our intentions of tracking the thermal lensing of
ITMs in S6 we need to integrated heterodyning into the tracksearch
pipeline. †This will allow to being testing the possibility of
performing real time thermal lens tracking in S6.
(*) I presented the week 3 glitch shift report to the glitch group.
This report is available here:

https://www.lsc-group.phys.uwm.edu/twiki/bin/view/DetChar/GlitchWeekH1-20090721
(*) A revised manuscript for my GWDAW13 proceeding has been submitted to
CQG and I am awaiting approval.
__________
Ajith Parameswaran:

- Testing the spinning IMR waveforms in LAL.
- Working on the instrumental veto analysis code with Aaron.
__________
Stephen Privitera:

* This week I have been learning about filters and playing with the
matlab calibration model.
__________
Amber L. Stuver:

- Continued working with the rest of the MatApps redevelopment team
on preparations for porting the current CVS repository to a SVN
repository. †Everything is currently on track to start and complete
this during the commissioning break.
- Conferred with another member of the LOOC-UP group about a
potential trip to collaborate with astronomical image processing
professionals so that our pipeline will be better developed.
- Tying up loose ends from this summer: continued organizing an FEd
invited session for the March 2010 APS March Meeting, proof reading a
local grad student's thesis, completing documentation of the software
developed by the RET teacher (Brenden) who worked with me this summer,
etc.
__________
Kari Hodge:

- Organizing people to help with getting information from the
detectors into inputs for the MVSC code.
- Doing a study on low SNR/low chi^2 triggers.
__________
Anand Sengupta:

* Working with Tristan Miller on pylal_mvsc_player and associated
scripts for multivariate statistical classification
* Running it on S5 high mass search months
* Working with Kari Hodge - liaising with CBC group members to add
channel based vetos in the classifier
* Working with Anahita Maghami on her SURF project
__________
Kipp Cannon:

- Working with Drew Keppel on the extension of inspiral background
rate estimation by enhancing the inspiral pipeline's coincidence tool
to do more time slides
- Working to complete the analysis of two months of the S5 high-mass search
- Started a gstlal project page on the daswg home page.
- Working with Dan Stratman on a technique for the deconvolution of
stochastic sky maps
- telecons: †inspiral-highmass, ANU gravity group meeting
__________
Chad Hanna:

* Worked with Mireia on a new chisquared implementation for LLOID
* continued developing high mass post processing and upper limit tools
* started investigating the fixing the inspiral followup pipeline to
work for the high mass search
__________
Joseph Betzwieser:

* Continued work with Ina and Pinkesh on reading in radio ephemeris
from radio observations and applying that information to wide
parameter searches

* Continued work a pipeline that reads in multiple known targeted
sources and uses Pinkesh's resampling code to perform multiple wide
parameter searches on them.
__________
Pinkesh Patel:

(1) Worked with Ina on her correction code for glitches.
(2) Gave an update to the Pulsar group on the globular cluster search
and the resampling review.
(3) Automating scripts to generate a DAG for the globular cluster search.
__________
Igor Yakushin:

1) Working on automatically checking by cWB online pipeline if
injections were detected/not processed/not found.
2) Working on time-shifted semi-online analysis for background estimation
__________


Laboratory Computing (Anderson)

LDAS Software Systems (Maros)

LDAS System Administration (Anderson)

Caltech

(Dan Kozak)

(Phil Ehrens)

(Josh Abadie)

MIT

(Fred Donovan)

Livingston

(Igor Yakushin)

Hanford

(Greg Mendell)

General Computing (Wallace)

MIT

(Fred)

Livingston

(Dwayne)

(Shannon)

GC/Sys/Netadmin

Sec/Auth

Hanford

(Jonathan)

(Larry)

Caltech

(Veronica)

(Larry)

(Mike)


Distributed (Grid) Computing R&D (Blackburn)

Grid Application Development:

Einstein@Home on the OSG

Binary Inspiral Application on Grids

Open Science Grid Integration & Validation Testbed:

Grid Management:


Advanced LIGO and Supporting R&D (Shoemaker)

Advanced LIGO Management

From Carol Wilkinson

Project Controls

Staffing

Procurements

Property Management

No report this week.

NSF Acquisition Approvals

Progress Updates

Meetings & Reviews

Advanced LIGO Systems

Design/Readiness Reviews:

    For a list of reviews, see the main AdL wiki page

Procurement Techncial Reviews:

    See the procurement wiki

Technical Review Board (TRB):

    See the TRB log

UHV & Vacuum Review Board (VRB):

    See the VRB log

Configuration Control & Documentation:

     Approved the following: (Dennis)

Design/Planning:

Interfaces:

See the RODA status page and the Interface Control page

Modeling and Simulation

From: Hiroaki Yamamoto hiro@ligo.caltech.edu

Static IFO simulation (Hiro, Logan)
----------------------------------------------

Time Domain simulation (Hiro, Seiji)

------------------------------------------------------

Safety

From: David Nolting   dnolting@ligo-la.caltech.edu

Quality Assurance

From: Mick Flanigan flanigan_m@ligo-wa.caltech.edu

This week was primarily focused on the ICS system, with only small amounts of time to QA.

Inventory Database:

We have completed the design work for the following items:

We are in testing for the following Item:

Team will be deploying these new features early next week to production. Along with this, we have made some changes to address several bugs, as well as streamlining the system:

ICS Statistics:

Thanks to everyone using the system and really starting to exercise the database!!! Keep reporting any bugs, improvements and new feature requests to http://track.appfire.com:8090/secure/Dashboard.jspa

QA:

Provided guidance to the procurements team and Columbia on the need for the existing QA language in the contracts, even though it is not completely applicable, the functionality in the document allows users to toggle by check box what is applicable. This relieves the team from having to write a custom QA doc for every contract. Will follow up to make sure this model is easy to use for them and meets their needs.

Will be traveling to LLO in a week, and am in the process of locating the measuring devices to get the inspection done. If I cannot locate the calipers and pin gauges by tomorrow, will purchase these for this job, and future use at LHO.

Facilities Modifications and Preparations

From: John Worden <worden_j@ligo-wa.caltech.edu>

Seismic Isolation

From: Ken Mason kmason@ligo.mit.edu

aLIGO Project Activities
No report

SEI  Electronics Design and Fabrication
We have finished testing the STS-2 Distribution Chassis.  They are all working properly.
The Pump Servo PCB layout is now finished.  I will send it out for a prototype run soon.
The Trillium 240 to STS-2 Interface PCB is back from Sunstone, and has been stuffed.  We are waiting for the panels, then we'll put it into a chassis, and ship it off.
We have looked at the noise of the STS-2 Interface Chassis, and they all look pretty good.  there are a small handful of channels that are a bit noisier than the others, and we will investigate this before sending them out.
Quotes for the 8-Ch Valve Driver Chassis build are still coming in, we should be making a decision on them soon.
Sam is currently stuffing the internal boards for the ISI Coil Driver prototype that Mohana left before she went on leave.  We'll put them through some testing when they're done. ~Ben A.

Hepi Procurement and Assembly
Kineoptics is shipping 14 actuators to LLO and 25 to LHO this week. Mick and Ken will be inspecting the actuator bellows at each of the sites.

HAM ISI Procurement and Design
The contracts for the miscellaneous machined parts, pods, flexures, and spring posts were sent to the NSF this week for approval.
The RFQ for GS-13 flexures was sent to potential bidders. Stephany is focusing on the BSC seismometers and HAM shipping containers next.
32 actuators have been completed at PSI in Slidell, LA. Joe Hanson and Tom Gentry will visit to review the test results and procedures.

BSC ISI Design and Test
Stage 2 redesign: Working through details of bolt patterns and parts clearances. ~Andy

We are currently more focusing on the design than testing. Celine was with us this week to work on the flexure rods projects. We have also started working on the cable routing, with the help of Adrien Leroux a visitor from INSA Lyon engineering school. Sam is almost done with the pods projects and is making good progress on the overall assembly. Andy, Stephany and myself keep making progress on our respective projects (Stage2, actuators and Stage1). Mark Mazzella, a draftsman, will start working with us on Monday. ~ Fabrice

Suspensions

From Janeen Romie and Norna Robertson  
(romie_j@ligo-la.caltech.edu, nroberts@ligo.caltech.edu)

Operations Work

Project-Funded Activities

Prestabilized Laser

From: Peter King <pking@ligo.caltech.edu>

Operations

Project

Input Optics

From: Rodica Martin <rmartin@phys.ufl.edu>

ELIGO Commissioning (LLO):

Advanced LIGO R&D

Advanced LIGO Design

ALIGO Acquisition

Core Optics

From: GariLynn Billingsley <Billingsley_G@ligo.caltech.edu>

(Rand)

Got the shipment case quote from New World Cases, but need instead high impact plastic, so they are requoting.
Have asked Olympic case if they have all they need for a shipment case quote, they say yes, but he has not generated it.
Suspended first contact work in the new lab 015a due to a ventilation problem. Peter King, myself, David Mispagel are investigation. A vented or ventless fume hood is under consideration.
Got a working procedure for collecting spectral data from small sample through a microscope (small samples) that is working extremely well. Better reflectance spectra, and now transmittance is possible.
See T0900351-v7 for a contraptionless, hassle-free method to get First Contact off a large optic.

https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/private/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=3853

Margot has assisted in the clean bake and assembly of the Fold mirror containers, has updated the three radii of curvature specifications for the -R3 optics and submitted several orders via techmart.

A kickoff meeting is planned at CSIRO for September 21st. Dannenberg, Flannigan and Billingsley attending.
All coating contracts are fully executed.
RFP for full aperture metrology instrument has been sent
We have found that there is no anneal on the Fold mirrors after core drilling. We will pursue annealing for these three pieces before final polish as an insurance against warping upon coating anneal.

Auxiliary Optics

From:   Michael Smith <smith@ligo.caltech.edu>

Work Under Project Budget

OPTICAL LEVER:

VIBRATION ANALYSIS LAB:

Work Under Operations Budget

OPTICAL LEVER

The prototype optlev pylon was received, and a preliminary vibration test indicates that the lowest resonance is approx. 35 Hz. There is no specification for the resonant frequencies.
We conducted a design review of Craig's telescope mount drawings and several changes were suggested to simplify the design and reduce costs. He is expected to finalize the drawings and obtain approval to send out for bids next week.
Eric and Tara are at LHO working with Doug and Cheryl to compare the optlev pointing noise measurements made at CIT and LHO. At the moment there is an unidentified source of beam pointing drift with Doug's setup in the LHO optics lab.
Riccardo's SURF students are measuring the spot profile at the output of a prototype beam expander with a CCD camera and are developing software to automatically determine the beam size and centroid location.
Eric and Riccardo are studying the review committee's responses to the Optlev requirements and conceptual design documents. The committee wants better experimental evidence that we can meet the stated 1 microradian pointing accuracy.
Ian a SURF student is making comparative measurements of a water level tiltmeter with the standard tiltmeter at LHO LVEA.

OUTPUT FARADAY ISOLATOR

Jesse completed testing the blue-steel blade spring samples. The test results verify Mike's design equations within the experimental error. An apparent discrepancy in the predicted vertical spring frequency was resolved when Jesse used Mike's revised frequency equation.

ETM Telescope

Jesse developed a matlab model to calculate the guoy phase of his ABCD matrix model of the ETM/transmon optical train. Muzammil gave him some pointers on how to calculate the guoy phase using the ABCD matrix.

Ken completed a preliminary layout of the ETM telescope and transmon table.

TCS

Ken has finished detailed working drawing for the thermal housing for Phil Willem's co2 laser.

SLC

Mike is studying the responses to the SLC preliminary design review held on 7/9/09.

Interferometer Sensing and Control

From: Peter Fritschel <pf@ligo.mit.edu>

Control and Data Systems


For additional information about this report, contact Albert Lazzarini