Support for LIGO Scientific Collaboration Core Functions in the Era of Gravitational-Wave Observations

LIGO科学合作组织（LSC）成立于1997年，旨在直接观测激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）收集的数据中的引力波（GW）。这一目标于2015年9月实现，探测到来自双黑洞（BBH）并合的GW150914。2017年，LSC与Virgo合作，通过探测到双中子星（BNS）合并GW170817，开启了多信使GW天文学的时代。这是一个令人兴奋的天文学新时代的黎明，LSC的组织和一致的愿景使之成为可能。LSC的成功依赖于全球分布的团队。有效和高效的行动需要定期的面对面会议来规划和审查。该项目支持LSC发言人和其他领导团队成员参加此类活动的旅行，并支持LSC研究员计划。这个项目吸引了形形色色、技术娴熟的（大部分）初级研究人员到每个LIGO站点工作。参与者在观测运行期间监测数据的质量，并与当地工程师和科学家合作改进干涉仪的性能。LSC成员参与现场调查有助于提高LIGO探测器的灵敏度和增加其占空比；这扩大了探测器的科学探测范围。发展和维持LSC中受过引力波科学训练的研究科学家的广泛基础，对未来的观测至关重要。该奖项支持LIGO科学合作组织（LSC）的核心功能，以执行其利用引力波探索重力基本物理的科学使命，并作为一种新的多信使天文发现工具。补助金用于支持LSC活动费用的美国部分，约占所有费用的52%（884名成员中的444名）。LSC以每位会员为基础收取活动费，以资助会员认为必要的主要计划和功能。这些费用包括LSC研究员计划、与合作论文相关的出版费用、与组织职责相关的LSC服务差旅以及LSC发言人的差旅。大约三分之二的活动费用于资助LSC研究员计划，该计划吸引了各种各样、技术娴熟的（大多数）初级研究人员在每个LIGO站点工作。该计划的目标是为LSC成员提供机会，让他们了解LIGO在天文台的精密干涉仪，并为其做出贡献，让LSC科学家在观测运行期间现场监测数据质量，并补充当地工程师和科学家的活动，以提高干涉仪的性能。活动费用评估确保合作论文的出版费用，包括使开创性检测论文开放获取的费用，以及LSC发言人和其他成员与组织职责相关的差旅费，在合作成员之间平均分配。这笔费用还为可靠的互联网托管和身份服务提供资金，这两者对于LSC这样的大型合作至关重要。LSC通过其活动对研究、教育和公众对科学的理解产生了实质性的积极影响。LSC培训初级科学家了解尖端LIGO探测器的设计和操作。通过LSC研究员项目获得的经验显著而积极地影响了青年科学家理解和交流高技术主题的能力；这些都是学术界内外的重要技能。来自较小机构的学生和初级研究人员，其中一些是代表性不足的少数民族，可以获得原本无法获得的资源。从长远来看，培养一个更大、更多样化的实验科学家群体会带来显著的好处。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。

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) was formed in 1997 to directly observe gravitational waves (GW) in data collected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). This goal was realized in September 2015 with the detection of GWs originating from the Binary Black Hole (BBH) merger, GW150914. In 2017 the LSC, together with the Virgo collaboration, inaugurated the era of multi-messenger GW astronomy with the detection of the Binary Neutron Star (BNS) merger, GW170817. This is the dawn of a new and exciting era of astronomy, made possible by the organization and coherent vision of the LSC. The success of the LSC relies on a globally distributed team. Effective and efficient operations requires regular in-person meetings for planning and reviews. This project supports travel for the LSC Spokesperson and other members of the leadership team to participate in such activities and it also supports the LSC Fellows Program. This program attracts a diverse and skilled set of (mostly) junior researchers to work at each LIGO site. Participants monitor the quality of data during observation runs and work with local engineers and scientists to improve the performance of the interferometers. Participation by LSC members in on-site investigations helps improve the sensitivity of the LIGO detectors and increase their duty cycle; this extends the scientific reach of the detectors. Developing and maintaining a broad base of research scientists in the LSC that are trained in gravitational-wave science is essential for future observations.This award supports core functions of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) in order to carry out its scientific mission of using gravitational-waves to explore the fundamental physics of gravity and as a new multi-messenger astronomical tool of discovery. The grant supports the U.S. portion of the LSC Activities Fees, which amounts to about 52% (444 of 884 members) of all fees collected. The LSC levies an Activities Fee on a per-member basis to fund key programs and functions deemed essential by the membership. These include the LSC Fellows Program, publication fees associated with collaboration papers, LSC service travel associated with organizational responsibilities, and LSC spokesperson's travel. About two thirds of the Activities Fee funds the LSC Fellows Program, which attracts a diverse and skilled set of (mostly) junior researchers to work at each LIGO site. The goals of the program are to provide opportunities for LSC members to learn about and contribute to LIGO's precision interferometery at the observatories, to have on-site LSC scientists monitoring the quality of data during observation runs, and to complement the activities of local engineers and scientists in improving the performance of the interferometers. The Activities Fee assessment ensures that the publication fees for collaboration papers, including fees to make seminal detection papers open-access, and LSC Spokesperson and other members' travel associated with organizational responsibilities, are distributed evenly among collaboration members. The fee also funds reliable internet hosting and identity services, both of which are crucial for a large collaboration such as the LSC. The LSC has a substantial positive impact on research, education and public understanding of science through its activities. The LSC trains junior scientists to understand the design and operations of the cutting-edge LIGO detectors. The experience gained through the LSC Fellows program significantly and positively impacts junior scientists' abilities to understand and communicate on highly technical topics; these are important skills both inside and outside academia. Students and junior researchers from smaller institutions, some of whom are under-represented minorities, gain access to resources that would otherwise be out of reach. In the long-term, there is significant benefit from training a larger and more diverse group of experimental scientists.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.