Rob Coyne

  • Faculty (URI)
  • Physics (URI)
  • Phone: 401.874.4928
  • Email: robcoyne@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Department of Physics
    East Hall Room 219
    2 Lippitt Road
    Kingston, RI 02881

Biography

I am a gravitational wave astrophysicist with a particular interest in gamma-ray bursts, the many varied ways they might produce gravitational waves, and how we can go about detecting them. I have been a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration since 2013, and have contributed to a myriad of exciting, cutting-edge research projects. I was a member of the collaboration for the groundbreaking discovery of gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes, an achievement that has been recognized by several prominent awards committees, including the Special Breakthrough Prize, the 2016 Gruber Cosmology prize, and the Bruno Rossi Prize. 

I also have a keen interest in physics pedagogy, and have been an active member of physics education research groups both at the George Washington University and Texas Tech, and continue to strive for equitable and inclusive instruction at the University of Rhode Island. I have taught in numerous different formats (from inquiry-based active learning environments, to laboratories, to traditional lectures and workshops) for over a decade. I’m an active proponent of targeted professional development for my fellow scientists, most recently developing and running a targeted workshop on effective communication for the American Astronomical Society.

Research

My primary work is in multi-messenger observation of gamma-ray bursts and their exotic remnants. Key to this effort is a novel cross-correlation gravitational wave analysis technique that is optimized for detecting long-lived gravitational wave transients that might arise after some GRBs. Detecting such signals will finally allow us to understand what is left behind after these cataclysmic events. 

  • Cross-correlation method for intermediate-duration gravitational wave searches associated with gamma-ray bursts (arXiv, publisher)
  • Multi-waveform cross-correlation search method for intermediate-duration gravitational waves from gamma-ray bursts (arXiv, publisher)

I am also an active member of the analysis and paper writing teams for several LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration publications on the topic (extending back to 2014), including our most recent publications from LIGO’s third observing run.

  • Search for Gravitational Waves Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts Detected by Fermi and Swift During the LIGO-Virgo Run O3a (arXiv, publisher, science summary)
  • Search for Gravitational Waves Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts Detected by Fermi and Swift During the LIGO-Virgo Run O3b (arXiv, publisher, science summary)

I maintain an active interest in high performance computing. From small scale novel platforms (like our PlayStation 3 computing cluster) to large-scale efforts shared between dozens of institutions. 

Education

  • 2015: Ph.D. in Physics, The George Washington University
  • 2011: M.S. in Physics, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
  • 2007: B.S. in Physics, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Selected Publications

For a complete list of publications, see my curriculum vitae (current as of summer 2022). Below is an abridged list of selected works:

  • R Abbott, TD Abbott, S Abraham, F Acernese, K Ackley, C Adams, and … Search for gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts detected by fermi and swift during the ligo–virgo run o3a. The Astrophysical Journal, 915(2):86–86, 2021r
  • E Sowell, A Corsi, and R Coyne. Multiwaveform cross-correlation search method for intermediate- duration gravitational waves from gamma-ray bursts. Physical Review D, 100(12):124041–124041, 2019
  • BP Abbott, R Abbott, TD Abbott, S Abraham, F Acernese, K Ackley, and … Search for gravitational- wave signals associated with gamma-ray bursts during the second observing run of advanced ligo and advanced virgo. The Astrophysical Journal, 886(1):75–75, 2019p
  • BP Abbott, R Abbott, TD Abbott, MR Abernathy, F Acernese, K Ackley, and … Search for gravita- tional waves associated with gamma-ray bursts during the first advanced ligo observing run and implications for the origin of grb 150906b. The Astrophysical Journal, 841(2):89–89, 2017f
  • BP Abbott, R Abbott, TD Abbott, F Acernese, K Ackley, C Adams, T Adams, and … Gw170817: observation of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star inspiral. Physical review letters, 119 (16):161101–161101, 2017l
  • BP Abbott, R Abbott, TD Abbott, F Acernese, K Ackley, C Adams, T Adams, and … Gravitational waves and gamma-rays from a binary neutron star merger: Gw170817 and grb 170817a. The Astro- physical Journal Letters 848 (2), L, 13, 2017m
  • R Coyne, A Corsi, and BJ Owen. Cross-correlation method for intermediate-duration gravitational wave searches associated with gamma-ray bursts. Physical Review D, 93(10):104059–104059, 2016a
  • BP Abbott, R Abbott, TD Abbott, MR Abernathy, F Acernese, K Ackley, and … Observation of grav- itational waves from a binary black hole merger. Physical review letters, 116(6):61102–61102, 2016a
  • J Aasi, BP Abbott, R Abbott, T Abbott, MR Abernathy, F Acernese, and … Methods and results of a search for gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts using the geo 600, ligo, and virgo detectors. Physical Review D, 89(12):122004–122004, 2014h
  • J Aasi, BP Abbott, R Abbott, T Abbott, MR Abernathy, F Acernese, and … Search for gravitational waves associated with -ray bursts detected by the interplanetary network. Physical review letters, 113(1):11102–11102, 2014f
  • GA MacLachlan, A Shenoy, E Sonbas, R Coyne, KS Dhuga, and … The hurst exponent of fermi gamma-ray bursts. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 436(4):2907–2914, 2013

Awards and Honors

  • 2017: Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research as a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC)
  • 2017: Bruno Rossi Prize as a member of the LSC
  • 2016: National Space Club Huntsville Distinguished Science Award as a member of the LSC
  • 2016: The Gruber Cosmology Prize as a contributing member of the LSC
  • 2016: The Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics as a member of the LSC
  • 2013: LSC Best Analysis/Theory Poster
  • 2012: AAPT Outstanding Teaching Award