Detecting compact binary coalescences with seedless clustering

Compact binary coalescences are a promising source of gravitational waves for second-generation interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. Although matched filtering is the optimal search method for well-modeled systems, alternative detection strategies can be used to guard against theoretical errors (e.g., involving new physics and/or assumptions about spin/eccentricity) while providing a measure of redundancy. In previous work, we showed how "seedless clustering" can be used to detect long-lived gravitational-wave transients in both targeted and all-sky searches. In this paper, we apply seedless clustering to the problem of low-mass ($M_\text{total}\leq10M_\odot$) compact binary coalescences for both spinning and eccentric systems. We show that seedless clustering provides a robust and computationally efficient method for detecting low-mass compact binaries

Qualities of Effective Transition Leadership in a Changing School Landscape

This paper seeks to uncover which key personality traits are thought to be the most important for effective leadership during a period of transition by exploring and researching a variety of popular leadership models. An effort was made to distill as many traits as possible in order to determine which traits were most agreed upon to be necessary for an individual to possess to be an effective leader. A survey based in this research was then created and given to the staff of educational facility in Upstate New York, asking administrators, teachers of record, and para-educators to rank the top five of these traits according to their belief regarding how important they felt each was for a leader to possess in order to be effective. The overarching goal was to determine which traits employees of different positions within an educational facility deemed most important for effective leadership, and also to obtain data to help craft new, more guided interview questions intended to accurately identify effective leaders during an interview process, and to determine possible organizational values regarding effective leadership itself

Wakeboard Winch

A wakeboard winch is a stationary device used to tow wakeboard riders through a body of water allowing riders to access locations that may be too shallow for boats or where motorboat restrictions apply. For this instance, the device will be intended to use on a small lake where motorized boats are prohibited but will also possess a transportable design so it may be used in other locations. Winches that can be purchased from manufacturers tend to be expensive and unaffordable for most people while many homemade winches tend to lack the same performance capabilities as manufactured winches. The principal investigator of this project will be responsible for designing, building, and analyzing a wakeboard winch that yields the performance of a manufactured device while being built with a minimal budget.https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/cwu_met/1003/thumbnail.jp

Trinitarian Christology: The Grammar of The Christian Faith and the Foundation for a Theology of Religious Pluralism

This essay explores the interaction of George Lindbeck’s cultural-linguistic model of religious knowledge and Jacques Dupuis’ trinitarian Christology as a model for a theology of religious pluralism. The goal is to provide a basic overview of how the work of these two thinkers might work together to articulate a theology of religious pluralsim. In summary, a cultural-linguistic model does not provide conclusions in advance for the theology of religions. Rather, it allows a freedom in which to explore how doctrines might be formulated in order to remain true to the inherited tradition, to contemporary religious experience, and to the situation of religious pluralism. It also allows for and encourages interreligious dialogue, which can foster mutual cooperation and respect, as well as the ability to understand and employ other religions’ cultural and linguistic grammar. In the case of Christianity, trinitarian theology is central. It is the primary grammar of our faith. As such, we may legitimately inquire into whether the doctrine of the Trinity ontologically corresponds to the reality of God. Jacques Dupuis is one pluralist theologian who believes that it does, and I am inclined to agree with him. In addition to being a central belief of Christian faith, it can also provide a firm foundation on which to build a Christian theology of religious pluralism. God is one and yet triune; there are different yet convergent paths to salvation. Lindbeck’s model affirms the possibility of these statements, and Dupuis’ theology demonstrates its content and form

Correlated noise in networks of gravitational-wave detectors: subtraction and mitigation

One of the key science goals of advanced gravitational-wave detectors is to observe a stochastic gravitational-wave background. However, recent work demonstrates that correlated magnetic fields from Schumann resonances can produce correlated strain noise over global distances, potentially limiting the sensitivity of stochastic background searches with advanced detectors. In this paper, we estimate the correlated noise budget for the worldwide Advanced LIGO network and conclude that correlated noise may affect upcoming measurements. We investigate the possibility of a Wiener filtering scheme to subtract correlated noise from Advanced LIGO searches, and estimate the required specifications. We also consider the possibility that residual correlated noise remains following subtraction, and we devise an optimal strategy for measuring astronomical parameters in the presence of correlated noise. Using this new formalism, we estimate the loss of sensitivity for a broadband, isotropic stochastic background search using 1 yr of LIGO data at design sensitivity. Given our current noise budget, the uncertainty with which LIGO can estimate energy density will likely increase by a factor of ~4--if it is impossible to achieve significant subtraction. Additionally, narrowband cross-correlation searches may be severely affected at low frequencies f < 45 Hz without effective subtraction.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure