The 9th Edoardo Amaldi conference on gravitational waves (Amaldi 9) and the 2011 Numerical Relativity and Data Analysis meeting (NRDA 2011), Cardiff, 10–15 July 2011

Abstract

The summer of 2011 marked the beginning of a crucial time for the field of gravitational-wave astronomy. After the successful completion of long-duration data taking, the initial LIGO and Virgo detectors were shut down and the era of first-generation laser interferometric gravitational-wave detectors came to an end. With the analysis of the last set of first-generation data approaching completion (the results of several searches are summarized in these proceedings), the field now faces the challenge of preparing for the era of second-generation detectors, and, hopefully, the regular detection of gravitational waves.The first of the advanced detectors should begin operation in 2014, but the intervening years are far from a time of sitting and waiting. This will be a hectic time forexperimenters, who have to fight the limits of current technology to maketheir theoretical noise curves a reality. During Amaldi 9 we were led throughthe upgrades to advanced detectors, and the challenges that the experimenters face.We also heard about proposals for going yet further with third-generation and space-based detectors.This is also a crucial time for theoretical work. With the increased sensitivity ofadvanced detectors, we hope to not only make the first detections of gravitationalwaves, but to learn about their sources, and to interpret what this means forastrophysics. We need more complete source modelling, more sophisticated andefficient search pipelines and parameter estimation tools, as well as a greaterunderstanding of what we can learn about the universe. Amaldi 9 included a number of talks on the status of these efforts, and the open questions that will be the focus in the coming years.Sunday July 10th was devoted entirely to NRDA 2011. In recent years the NRDAmeetings have brought together numerical relativists who model compact-binary sources,and gravitational-wave data analysts, who want to use the numerical results to aid gravitational-wave detection and parameter estimation. This work has coalesced around theNumerical INJection Analysis (NINJA) project, which is now in its secondincarnation, and will be used to test and refine data-analysis procedures onblack-hole-binary waveforms injected into real LIGO-Virgo data. This NRDA meetingfocused on preparing the set of numerical waveforms, and paving the way fordata analysis projects. A detailed summary and analysis of the NINJA waveformcatalogue is presented in these proceedings.The rest of the week consisted of Amaldi and NRDA-specific sessions, which contained talks on the most pressing issues facing gravitational-wave science. The participants enjoyed a successful meeting that included plenty of scheduled time for informal discussions, and popular poster sessions. Most evenings featured public lectures by prominent Cardiff academics following wine and cheese receptions. The Wednesday afternoon social excursions saw participants exploring the fairy-tale Castle Coch, the imposing Caerphilly Castle, and downtown Cardiff itself. The conference banquet on Thursday evening was hosted in the National Gallery, which included viewing of works by Renoir, Monet, and Cezanne in the Gallery's Impressionist wing.The organization of these meetings was overseen by the Gravitational Wave International Committee (GWIC) and the NRDA Scientific Organizing Committee, and the Amaldi Local Organizing Committee. The organisers wish to extend special thanks for the generous support of Cardiff University, in particular Samantha Emmott, Cardiff & Co., and the students and staff of the Cardiff University School of Physics and Astronomy who bore the brunt of the effort at ground level. We thank IUPAP for financial support. We also wish to thank Adam Day and Ben Sheard of IOP for their assistance in the preparation of this Special Issue. Finally, to all the participants, we say: thank you for making these meetings a success.These proceedings represent a small fraction of the science presented, discussed, and imagined at Amaldi 9 / NRDA 2011. Additional proceedings are published in the accompanying edition of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series (volume 363). It is our hope that these articles will be a resource for the field for years to come.M Hannam, S Hild, P Sutton and C Van Den Broeck Guest Editors