Enabling Gravitational-Wave Astronomy on the LIGO Data Grid

广义相对论中最引人注目的预测是黑洞和引力波。 科学家们现在准备使用激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）作为天文工具来探索广义相对论、黑洞和早期宇宙。 LIGO 长期观测活动的成功取决于对观测数据的持续及时分析。为了完成这项艰巨的计算任务，LIGO 成功采用了网格计算模型，并处于数据密集型观测科学应用的前沿。该奖项支持 LIGO 数据网格，这是一种专门为满足引力波天文学的重要计算需求而开发的分布式计算设施。它提供人员支持、增强和部署 LIGO 数据网格上的软件和网格服务。它满足了参与 LIGO 数据分析的引力波物理学家群体的需求，并将在该领域产生重大影响。 LIGO 数据网格还在大型科学实验的日常使用工具的高水平和详细水平上测试了网格概念。 这一经验将对其他电网和信息技术举措具有广泛的相关性。 最后，该奖项将为学生、科学家和计算机专家提供使用新兴网络技术的培训，这些技术的应用超出了 LIGO 的范围。

Counted among the most dramatic predictions of general relativity are black holes and gravitational waves. Scientists are now poised to probe general relativity, black holes and the early universe using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) as an astronomical tool. The success of LIGO's long-term observing campaign is predicated on continuing timely analysis of the observational data. To achieve this non-trivial computational task, LIGO has successfully adopted the grid computing model and has been at the forefront of its application for data-intensive observational science. This award supports the LIGO Data Grid, a distributed computational facility developed specifically to meet the significant computational needs of gravitational-wave astronomy. It provides personnel to support, enhance and deploy software and grid-services on the LIGO Data Grid. It addresses the needs of the community of gravitational-wave physicists involved in LIGO data analysis, and will have significant impact in that area. The LIGO Data Grid also tests grid concepts at both the high level of grand ideas and at the detailed level of tools in everyday use for a large scientific experiment. This experience will have broad relevance for other grid and information technology initiatives. Finally, this award will provide training for students, scientists and computer specialists in the use of emerging cyber-technology which has applications outside LIGO's endeavor.