REU Site: Gravitational-Wave Science in the LIGO Project

该奖项支持与加州理工学院激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）项目相关的现有本科生研究经验（REU）站点计划的更新。该项目每年夏天将支持13名本科生进行为期10周的暑期研究。LIGO为本科生提供了一个独特而令人兴奋的机会，通过使用和开发前所未有的精度的探测器，参与打开一个全新的宇宙观测窗口。REU的参与者与LIGO科学家密切合作，参与探测器技术、数据分析和源建模等多个方面的项目。通过在暑期前准备项目提案，进度报告，以及在暑期结束时进行专业质量的演示和报告，每个学生都能培养科学写作和交流的技能。LIGO REU项目为本科生提供了在精密计量学、强场重力和观测天体物理学前沿的有益研究经验，使他们为重大科学努力做出真正和持久的贡献。学生们与来自LIGO实验室、加州理工学院理论天体物理学和全球LIGO科学合作组织的专业科学家一起工作，并受到他们的指导，第一手了解大型项目的组织和运作方式。他们获得的新技能适用于广泛的技术职业，包括光学、激光、电子、伺服控制、机械系统、数据分析、数值相对论、天体物理源建模、软件开发、高通量计算和相关技术。他们受益于完善的实验室基础设施、高通量计算的可用性、文件控制、安全和安保程序以及行政支持。夏天的一个亮点是参观LIGO天文台。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。

This award supports the renewal of the existing Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site program associated with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project at Caltech. The project will support thirteen undergraduate students for ten weeks of summer research per summer. LIGO provides a unique and exciting opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in the opening of an entirely new observational window on the Universe using and developing detectors with unprecedented precision. REU participants work closely with individual LIGO scientists on projects involving many aspects of detector technology, data analysis, and source modeling. Every student develops skills in scientific writing and communication, through preparation of a project proposal prior to the summer, progress reports, and a professional-quality presentation and report at the end of the summer. The LIGO REU program provides undergraduate students with a rewarding research experience at the frontiers of precision metrology, strong-field gravity, and observational astrophysics in which they make real and lasting contributions to a major scientific effort. Students work with and are mentored by professional scientists from LIGO Laboratory, Caltech theoretical astrophysics, and the global LIGO Scientific Collaboration and learn first-hand how large projects are organized and operate. They acquire new skills that are applicable in a broad range of technical careers, involving optics, lasers, electronics, servo controls, mechanical systems, data analysis, numerical relativity, astrophysical source modeling, software development, high throughput computing, and related technologies. They benefit from a well-established laboratory infrastructure, the availability of high-throughput computing, document control, safety and security procedures, and administrative support. A highlight of the summer is a trip to one of the LIGO Observatories.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.