LSC Detector Characterization Working Group
Subgroup on Data Set Simulation

Leader: Sam Finn

Data set simulation immediately brings to mind simulation of astrophysical sources, which is the natural purview of both the Astrophysical Source Indentification and Signatures (ASIS) and the Detection Confidence and Statistical Analysis working groups. But equally important is the simulation of purely instrumental & environmental effects. Ultimately, we need to verify that sources can be detected in a background of instrumental noise; more immediately, we need to verify that algorithms developed to characterize the detector can indeed detect and correctly classify noise, including transient disturbances.

Tasks for this subgroup can be classified into three broad areas with differing time scales for completion:


Creating simulation software infrastructure:

These tasks include writing generic utility routines for creating random time series data from power spectra and for superposing different noise sources / disturbances, including those from astrophysical sources. Ideally, a fairly general template should be created that can be emulated by writers of algorithms to mimic their favorite disturbances. More generic utilities needed include modelling of analog whitening/dewhitening filters, digitization, and digital filters.

Applying (reasonably) well understood models to create simulated data sets:

These tasks include modelling of the following effects:
(see August 98 transparencies by D. Sigg for a more comprehensive list)

Improving existing models:

These tasks are much more open-ended than those above and will require considerable work. A large simulation effort is already underway by the LIGO Lab called the End-to-End model. This package is meant to provide time- and frequency-domain simulations of a generic recycled interferometer, with a large set of optical, geometric, rf, and environmental parameters to define the interferometer. Working group members can contribute to this effort directly or indirectly by working on specific modelling tasks, such as those listed below:

General Plan

The above laundry list of tasks is formidable. Some are clearly more urgent than others, and manpower should be allotted accordingly. The following general plan seems appropriate: