CAREER: Gravitational-Wave Detector Characterization and Science Education in the Advanced LIGO Era

该职业奖支持PI和他在加州州立大学富勒顿分校（CSUF）的学生的综合研究和教育计划，旨在加速激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）对引力波的直接探测。研究的重点是i)对先进的LIGO仪器进行全面的表征，特别是识别和去除可能掩盖或模拟潜在天体物理信号的数据中的噪声伪像，以及ii)对光学材料散射光的测量和分析，这对扩展先进的LIGO的覆盖范围很重要。该奖项的外联部分将为附近社区大学的学生建立一条途径，让他们了解并成为PI研究小组的一员。本计划亦将透过在本科课程中编制和传播引力波科学教材，提高学生的科学素养。阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦在1916年的广义相对论中预言了引力波。近一个世纪后，我们准备第一次直接探测到这些引力波，并在一个全新的光谱中观察宇宙。LIGO是美国国家科学基金会资助的一个项目，用于测量来自天体物理系统的引力波，如碰撞黑洞和中子星。该奖项支持彻底表征LIGO探测器的研究，这是探测引力波必不可少的工作。此外，它还支持光学散射的研究，旨在评估和提高商业光学的质量，这将需要扩大未来引力波探测器的天体物理覆盖范围。这些项目为学生提供了更多的机会参与CSUF的前沿研究，CSUF主要是一个本科生和西班牙裔服务机构。该奖项的教育和推广部分将吸引学生，其中许多来自目前在物理学和天文学中代表性不足的群体，在引力波科学的发现领域。

This CAREER award supports an integrated research and education program by the PI and his students at California State University Fullerton (CSUF) aimed at hastening the direct detection of gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). The research is focused on i) a thorough characterization of the Advanced LIGO instruments, especially the identification and removal of noise artifacts in the data that could mask or mimic potential astrophysical signals, and ii) measurement and analysis of scattered light from optical materials that are important for extending Advanced LIGO's reach. The outreach component of this award will establish a pathway for students at nearby community colleges to learn about and become part of the PI's research group. This project will also increase science literacy through the development and dissemination of educational materials for learning gravitational-wave science in the undergraduate curriculum.Albert Einstein predicted gravitational waves in his 1916 theory of general relativity. Nearly a century later, we are poised to directly detect these waves for the first time, and to observe the universe in an entirely new spectrum. LIGO is an NSF-funded project to measure gravitational waves from astrophysical systems such as colliding black holes and neutron stars. This award supports research to thoroughly characterize the LIGO detectors - work essential for the detection of gravitational waves. In addition, it supports research on optical scatter aimed at assessing and improving the quality of commercial optics that will be required to extend the astrophysical reach of future gravitational-wave detectors. These projects provide increased opportunities for students to participate in cutting-edge research at CSUF, a primarily undergraduate and Hispanic-serving institution. The education and outreach components of this award will engage students, many from groups currently underrepresented in physics and astronomy, in the discovery-ready field of gravitational-wave science.