LIGO diary 2002 part 3

LIGO diary 2002--report #3

by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 6 August 2002

Wednesday, 24 July 2002: My work continues on trying to simulate the gravity gradient effect from passing ground waves. I may or may not be making progress with my computer model. My results are beginning to look right, but I have yet to convert them to a format comparable to the graphs in my references.

One paper I am now reading had concluded that tumbleweed at the LIGO site in Washington could pose a significant problem for future gravitational wave measurements. The gravitational pull of a tumbleweed blown into the side of the building could overwhelm any gravitational waves that might be present.

Friday was interesting. I went in the afternoon to help place the seismometers in the bunkers, 2.9 km down the Y-arm (but to get there you have to go 4 km to the end, then back up the other side). These 18 bunkers are in a field part mud, part standing water, weeds up to 1 meter (3 ft) tall, some snakes and black widow spiders... Ground too muddy for the all-terrain Army forklift used on site... We ended up carrying the equipment on foot the 50-200 meter (or yard) distances to get to each bunker. What fun!

This past weekend some of us went to a movie. This weekend there is talk of going to Clark Creek State Park, just across the border in Mississippi, for hiking.