AAAS

Amercian Association for the Advancement of Science

ACIGA

Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy

ACWP

Actual Cost of Work Performed

ADC

Analog-to-Digital Converter

AdL

Advanced LIGO

AMU

Atomic Mass Unit

ANU

Australian National University

AOC

Adaptive Optics Compensation

AOS

Auxiliary Optics System

API

Application Programming Interface

ASC

Alignment Sensing and Control

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (communications protocol)

BAC

Budget at Completion

BCWP

Budgeted Cost of Work Performed

BCWS

Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled

BH

Black Hole

BSC

Beam Splitter Chamber also Basic Symmetric Chamber

CACR

Center for Advanced Computer Research (Caltech)

CAD

Computer Aided Design

CB&I

Chicago Bridge & Iron

CCB

Change Control Board

CCD

Charged Coupled Device

CDR

Conceptual Design Review

CDRL

Contract Data Requirements List

CDS

Control and Data Systems

COC

Core Optics Components

CSIRO

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Australia)

CSSR

Cost Schedule Status Report

CW

Continuous Wave

DAC

Digital-to-Analog Converter

DAQ

Data Acquisition System

DCC

Document Control Center

DFG

Dynamic gravity Field Generator

DMRO

Differential Mode Read-Out

DRR

Design Requirements Review

DSP

Digital Signal Processing

E2E

End-To-End Modeling (interferometer simulation)

EAC

Estimate at Completion

EPI

External Pre-Isolator

EPICS

Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System

ER

Engineering Run

ETF

Engineering Test Facility

ETM

End Test Mass

Ex

Engineering Run x (e.g. E4 is Engineering Run 4)

FAC

Facility Modifications

FDR

Final Design Review

FFT

Fast (Discrete) Fourier Transform

FTE

Full Time Equivalent

GASF

Geometrical Anti-Spring Filter

GEO

British-German Cooperation for Gravity Wave Experiment

GFLOPS

1000 MFLOPS

GG

Gravity Gradients

GPS

Global Positioning System

GRB

Gamma-Ray Burst

GUI

Graphical User Interface

GWDAW

Gravitational Wave Data Analysis Workshop

GWIC

Gravitational Wave International Committee

HAM

Horizontal Access Modules

HEPI

Hydraulic External Pre-Isolator

HPSS

High Performance Storage System (IBM)

HVAC

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

IDE

Integrated Drive Electronics (disk standard)

IFO

Interferometer

InGaAs

Indium-Gallium-Arsenide

INSA

French National Institute for Applied Science

IO

Input Optics

IP

Inverted Pendulum

ISC

Interferometer Sensing and Control

ITM

Input Test Mass

IV&V

Integration, Verification, and Validation

kpc

Kiloparsec

LAL

LIGO Algorithm Library

LASTI

LIGO Advanced System Test Interferometer

LDAS

LIGO Data Analysis System

LHO

LIGO Hanford Observatory

LIGO

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory

LISA

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

LLO

LIGO Livingston Observatory

LMXB

Low-Mass X-Ray Binary

LSC

LIGO Scientific Collaboration also Length Sensing and Control System

LVDT

Linear Variable Differential Transducer

LVEA

Laser and Vacuum Equipment Area (at observatory corner station)

LZH

Laser Zentrum Hannover

MB

Megabyte

MC

Mode Cleaner

MDC

Mock Data Challenge

MEPI

Magnetic External Pre-Isolator

MFLOPS

Million Floating Point Operations Per Second

MGASF

Monolithic Geometrical Anti-Spring Filter

MIMO

Multiple Input, Multiple Output

MOPA

Master Oscillator-Power Amplifier

MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

Mpc

Megaparsec

MPI

Message Passing Interface

MRE

Major Research Equipment

MSU

Moscow State University

NBI

Neutron Star Binary Inspiral

NPRO

Non-Planar Ring Oscillator

NS

Neutron Star

OOP

Object-Oriented Programming

OPD

Optical Path Difference

OSB

Operations Support Building

OSEM

Optical Shadow Sensor and Magnetic Actuator

PAC

Program Advisory Committee

PDR

Preliminary Design Review

PDRR

Preliminary Design Requirements Review

PDT

Photodetector

PEM

Physical and Environmental Monitor

PM

Project Management

PMP

Project Management Plan

Ppm

Parts per million

PRC

Power Recycling Cavity

PRM

Power Recycling Mirror

PSL

Prestabilized Laser

PZT

PbZr_xTi_1-xO₃ (lead zirconate titanate, a piezoelectric material)

QND

Quantum Non-Demolition

QPD

Quadrant Photo Diode

R&D

Research and Development

RAID

Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

RC

Recycling Cavity

REO

Research Electro-Optics (Company Name)

REU

Research Experience for Undergraduates

RF

Radio Frequency

RFP

Request for Proposal

RMS

Root mean square

RSE

Resonant Sideband Extraction

s

Second

s/s

Samples/second

SAP

Sapphire Core Optics

SAS

Seismic Attenuation System

SEI

Seismic Isolation System

SEM

Secondary Emission Monitor

SIOM

Shanghai Institute of Optical Materials

SLC

Stray Light Control

SOS

Small Optics Suspension

SR

Signal Recycled (interferometer configuration)

SRD

Science Requirements Document

SRM

Signal Recycling Mirror

SUP

Support Equipment

SURF

Summer Undergraduate Research Foundation

SUS

Suspension System

TAMA

Japanese Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Project

TB

Terabytes

TNI

Thermal Noise Interferometer

UHV

Ultra High Vacuum

UL

Upper Limits

VEA

Vacuum Equipment Area (at observatory mid- and end-stations)

VIRGO

Italian-French Laser Interferometer Collaboration

VME

Versa Modular Eurocard (IEEE 1014)

VSRM

Variable Signal Recycling Mirror

WAN

Wide Area Network

WBS

Work Breakdown Structure