Workshop on Large Ultrahigh-Vacuum Systems for Frontier Scientific Research Instrumentation

目前计划用于物理学和天文学前沿研究的主要新科学仪器将需要非常大的超高真空设备。在一些领域，如下一代激光干涉仪引力波天文台，真空系统有望形成主导的建设成本。真空系统也有望成为目前正在开发的先进等离子体聚变和粒子加速器概念的主要成本驱动因素。本次研讨会的目的是比较这些未来研究设施的真空需求，并探讨最近的进展，新的见解和新的概念，可以使其实现的主要成本节约。这样做将有助于确保在探索我们的物质宇宙以及教育、启发和告知公众方面继续发挥领导作用，并尽量减少未来对公共资金的负担。LIGO实验室将于2019年在LIGO利文斯顿或LIGO汉福德天文台举办研讨会。将邀请大约21位公认的真空专家代表美国和国际领先的研究机构和关键支持行业，将大规模真空系统技术应用于基础研究。他们将与LIGO实验室的教职员工一起进行为期3个工作日的演讲和小组讨论。预期的结果包括不同领域和项目之间的技术范例的交叉授粉，以及未来发展的全新建筑和制造概念的可能合成。在研讨会结束后，组委会将发布一份公开的摘要，突出这些发现并建议未来的工作方向。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Major new scientific instruments now planned for forefront research in physics and astronomy will require very large ultrahigh-vacuum facilities. In some areas, such as the next generation of laser interferometer gravitational wave observatories, the vacuum system is expected to form the dominant construction cost. Vacuum systems are also expected to be major cost drivers for advanced plasma fusion and particle accelerator concepts now under development. This workshop aims to compare vacuum needs of these future research facilities and to explore recent advances, new insights, and novel concepts that could render major cost savings in their realization. Doing so will help assure continued leadership in exploring our physical universe and in educating, enlightening and informing the public, with minimal future burden on public funds. LIGO Laboratory will host the workshop at the LIGO Livingston or LIGO Hanford observatory site in calendar 2019. Approximately 21 recognized vacuum experts will be invited to represent leading US and international research facilities and key supporting industries involved in applying large-scale vacuum system technology to fundamental research. They will join LIGO Laboratory faculty and staff for 3 working days with a mixture of presentations and panel-mediated discussions. Expected outcomes include the cross-pollination of technology paradigms between disparate fields and projects, and possible synthesis of entirely novel construction and fabrication concepts for future development. Upon conclusion of the Workshop, the Organizing Committee will publish a publicly accessible synopsis highlighting these findings and recommending directions for future pursuit.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.