Eliminating terrestrial noise sources to improve the LIGO gravity wave detectors

In their search for gravitational waves--stretches in space-time produced by dramatically violent events in the distant universe--researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) have created some of the most sensitive detectors in the world. Unfortunately, these detectors also pick up on lots of other disturbances--for example, strong winds or the sounds of a passing truck. Students from the Data Visualization Summer Internship program--operated by faculty members f...