Syracuse Sun

Syracuse University's Department of Physics has a long-standing partnership with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) to deepen our understanding of the universe's fundamental workings. In 2015, the Syracuse University Gravitational Wave Group was instrumental in a discovery that validated Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity through the first detection of gravitational waves. Since then, physicists from the College of Arts and Sciences have been building on this knowledge.

Among these physicists is Professor Collin Capano, who recently received a continuing research grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for two projects initiated in January 2024 and slated for completion by fall 2026. Capano also serves as the director of the Open Source Project Office, which acts as the university’s central information hub for using open-source software.

Einstein’s theory suggested that gravitational waves emitted by black holes would exhibit specific frequencies, much like a choir singing at different pitches. Capano’s first project, titled "Development of Efficient Black Hole Spectroscopy," aims to scrutinize Einstein’s theory under extreme conditions near black holes. Researchers will use data from the LIGO detector to determine whether these waves align with Einstein’s predictions or display unexpected patterns, potentially yielding new insights into physics.

The second project, "A Desktop Cluster for Detecting Compact Binary Mergers," involves establishing a computer network to expedite the search for gravitational waves in data generated by LIGO. This innovation could considerably hasten the process and lower costs, enabling more universities and colleges—especially those with limited resources—to engage in gravitational wave astronomy. The grant money will be used to fund construction, software development, and testing of a cluster of processors.

In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, this project also supports students by providing opportunities to acquire valuable data science skills that are highly sought after nationwide. It further promotes accessibility and diversity in STEM research.