Gravitational Wave Astrophysics and Multi-messenger Astronomy, High-performance Computing, Signal Processing and Machine Learning for GW Discoveries.

I am leading the Gravitational Wave Astronomy group at the UWA. My research interest includes gravitational wave astrophysics, online real-time detection, multi-messenger astronomy, machine learning application, and high performance computing.   

PhD, Master and Honours Projects and Scientific Software Engineering positions are available in our group. Contact: [email protected]

Online Real-time GW Discovery and Public Alert:  At the UWA,  we are leading the online search of gravitational wave signals from the live streaming LIGO-Virgo detector data at Caltech using a search pipeline called SPIIR (also developed at the UWA). The SPIIR pipeline is one of the four online search pipelines authorised by the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration (LVC) to detect gravitational waves from coalescencing binary neutron stars and black holes for LVC's 3rd science (O3)  and, moreover, to publish the triggered events to the general public in the form of Open Public Alerts .  

Direct Contributions to the LVC's GW Detections and Open Public Alerts: Numerous recent gravitational wave discoveries made from LVC's 3rd science run with SPIIR listed as one of the discovery pipelines can be found in the LVC's Public Alert Website here.  

A list of the recent 30 LVC collaboration publications (June 2019-June 2020)  that included our detection results with the SPIIR pipeline can be found from ADS Publication Achive here

GW Early Warning:  Gravitational wave signals from the binary coalescences can be detected before the the final merger.   Our team is one of the LVC on-going efforts to send public alerts when there is a sufficiently strong GW signal (as an addition to the existing effort in detection after the binary merger).  We have just completed  LVC's first GW Early Warning Experiment in June 2020, where real-time alerts were succussfully sent to the public in the form of  GCN Circulars (and then retracted) for a test from the replayed detector data.  

An on-going effort is on the real-time testing and  algorithm optimization of the fast detection and localization for GW early warnings.

Machine Learning for GW Discoveries:   A relatively new research effort in our group is to apply machine learning techinque for GW discoveries, including detection and parameter estimation.  Media news on our PhD student's work on localization of GWs using ANN can be found here.

GW Multi-Messenger Astronomy:  There are a few projects that are related to the astronomical aspects of gravitational wave detections, including searching for GW counterparts for EM transients such as fast radio bursts (FRBs) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), numerical simulation and analytical studies of binary black hole merger models with potential electromagnetic counterparts, and cosmology using GW observations. 

One of our aims is to facilitate fast follow-up observations of gravitational wave events by conventional telescopes.  A recent publication in testing the feasibility of fast radio burst search for GW events with real-time GW early warnings triggers using WA's Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope can be found here.  Another reseach area is to search for GW counterparts of FRBs in collaboration with the CRAFT collaboration (Transient search program with MWA and ASKAP telescopes)

Probe our Universe using GW Data: a recent paper on using GW observations to probe the expansion of our Universe using future 3rd-generation GW detectors can be found here.  Another paper to use GW data to probe the parity symmetry of gravity led by our collaborators can be found here.

GPU Acceleration, Mathematical Optimization and Algorithm Design:   We are leading the development of the SPIIR GW search pipeline at the UWA.  HPC technology innovation is key to detect GWs within seconds after the signal is available. There are a range of research projects available in our group,  including  filter coefficient design and optimization, mathematical and numerical optimization of search methods, and accelerating the searches using Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and Machine Learning.    

One of our recent paper on GPU acceleration on GW discovery can be found here.

Employment

2014          Professor, UWA
2010          ARC Future Fellow, Associate Professor, UWA
2007          UWA UPRF Fellow, UWA
2004          Junior Scientist, Max-Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Germany
2001          Postdoctoral Associate, Caltech, USA

Education:

2001: PhD in Astrophysics, MIT, USA

1995: MS in Physics, PSU, USA

1995: ME in Computer Science and Engineering, PSU, USA

1992: BS in Condensed Matter Physics, USTC, China

Recent Significant Research Grants

2017-2023 ARC Center of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), CI, Bailes et al.

2016-2020 ARC Discovery Project, Capturing Gravitational Wave and Electromagnetic Flashes from Binary Merger, Lead-CI (relinquished for OzGrav)

2015-2017 ARC Discovery Project, Detection and Localization of Gravitational Waves using Pulsar Timing Array, Lead-CI

2014 ARC LIEF, An Ultra-wideband Radio Receiver, Co-I, Bailes et al.

2014 ARC LIEF, Equipment for International Collaboration in Gravitational Wave Detection, Co-I, Blair et al 

2011-2015 ARC Discovery Project, Real Time Signal Processing & Distributed Robotic Telescope Networking for Co-Detection of Gravitational Waves & their Optical Counterpart, Lead-CI

2009-2013 ARC Future Fellowship, Real-Time Searches for Gravitational Waves and Identification of Their Radio and Optical Counterparts

Prizes, Fellowships and Awards:

2016 Special Breakthrough Prize for Fundamental Physics (shared among GW discovery team members)

2009 ARC Future Fellowship

2007 UPRF Fellowship (UWA)

1995 Rossi Fellowship (MIT)

Membership and Community Engagement:

Science Advisory Panel for Gravitational Wave Data Centre, Australia, 2019-

TianQin Collaboration Advisory Committee, 2018-

AIP Diversity and Equity Group for Australian Physics Committee, 2018-

Steering Committee, Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA), Australia, 2016-2017

Australian Astronomy Ltd (AAL) Multi-Messenger Astronomy Working Group, 2015

Member of International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation, 2015-

Member of Parkes Pulsar Timing Array Collaboration, 2013-

Member of International Astronomical Union, 2011-

Member of LIGO Science Collaboration, 2001-

Past Member of American Astronomical Society, American Physical Society, Astronomical Society of Australia and German-British Gravitational Wave Detector GEO600

Scientific Organizing Committee:

International Pulsar Timing Array Meeting, Blue Mountains, Australia, July 2015

International Pulsar Timing Array Meeting, Sevres, France, July 2017

Gravitational Wave Astrophysics Conference, Yunnan,  China, 2019  

Gravitational Wave Astrophysics Conference, Hefei, China, 2021

The 23rd International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitational (GR23), 2021

2014-present: Lecturer, SCIE 1121 Our Universe - an introduction to astronomy for the first year, both science and non-science major students

2020: UWA Department of Physics Yr12 Extension Program, Research Lecturer on "A Race to Capture the Waves" 

2019: PHYS 5512, guest lecturer on Gravitational Wave Discoveries"

2017: SHPC4001, guest lecturer on "Gravitational Wave Signal Processing"

2016: SHPC4001, guest lecturer on "Gravitational Wave Signal Processing"

2017-: Chief Investigator, 2017 Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) 

2018-: Leader, UWA Faculaty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Gravitational Wave Techonology and Education Research Cluster

2018-: Leader, UWA Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Machine Learning Application for Physical Sciences

2010-: Leader, UWA Department of Physics Gravitational Wave Astronomy Group 

2018-: Unit Coordinator, SCIE1121 Our Universe