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

WOU-MMA：支持引力波观测时代的 LIGO 科学协作核心功能

• 批准号: 2309212
• 负责人: John O'Reilly
• 金额: $ 110万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2027-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2309212&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: WOU; MMA; Support; LIGO; Scientific

This award supports research in relativity and relativistic astrophysics, and it addresses the priority areas of NSF's "Windows on the Universe" Big Idea. The NSF Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two large-scale interferometric detectors one located near Hanford, Washington, and one near Livingston, Louisiana. The LIGO detectors have been, and continue to be, the most sensitive instruments of their kind in the world. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) is a self-governing collaboration using gravitational wave detectors to explore the fundamental physics of gravity and observe the universe, as a multi-messenger astronomical tool of discovery. The LSC works toward this goal through development, commissioning, and operation of gravitational wave detectors; through the development and deployment of techniques for gravitational wave observation; and through interpretation of gravitational wave data. The LSC vision is to grow this field globally by collaborating with similar collaborations such as Virgo and KAGRA as part of an International Gravitational Wave Network (IGWN). The LSC funds core collaboration functions via activities fees provided in proportion to authorship by each member group. This NSF award pays the LSC activity fees for authors based in the United States. The activity fees fund the LSC Fellows Program, which enables junior collaboration members to make extended visits to the detector locations. While there, they work with on-site mentors to improve the instruments or to calibrate and vet the raw data. This award will be used to train a new generation of physicists, expert in gravitational-wave science, and in building and deploying complex scientific instruments, analyzing large data sets, and communicating with the public. The goal of directly detecting gravitational waves was realized in 2015 with the detection of those waves originating from the binary black hole merger, GW150914. In 2017 the detection of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 by the LSC and Virgo inaugurated the modern era of multi-messenger gravitational-wave astronomy. This award enables the LSC to carry out its scientific mission of using gravitational waves to explore the fundamental physics of gravity by also supporting: publication costs for collaboration papers, including costs to provide open-access; travel costs for the LSC spokesperson and for members engaged in LSC related service activities; computing services for hosting identity and access management, and to support the collaborations’ use of GitLab; an administrator to help run a collaboration with over 1,500 members. Effective and efficient management of the LSC, increased participation by LSC member institutions in on-site activities, and supporting computing tools and infrastructure that facilitate easier collaboration among members all serve to advance the LSC’s goal of establishing the field of gravitational-wave astronomy. Developing a broad base of physicists that are trained in gravitational-wave science and have first-hand experience at an observatory, are keys to the successful evolution of the field.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.

该奖项支持相对论和相对论天体物理学的研究，它解决了NSF“宇宙之窗”大构想的优先领域。美国国家科学基金会激光干涉引力波天文台（LIGO）由两个大型干涉探测器组成，一个位于华盛顿州汉福德附近，另一个位于路易斯安那州利文斯顿附近。LIGO探测器一直是，并将继续是世界上同类仪器中最灵敏的。LIGO科学协作组（LSC）是一个自治的协作组，使用引力波探测器来探索重力的基本物理和观察宇宙，作为一个多信使的天文发现工具。LSC通过开发、调试和运行引力波探测器来实现这一目标；通过发展和部署引力波观测技术；通过对引力波数据的解读。LSC的愿景是通过与Virgo和KAGRA等类似的合作，作为国际引力波网络（IGWN）的一部分，在全球范围内发展这一领域。LSC通过活动费用为核心协作功能提供资金，活动费用按每个成员小组的作者比例提供。美国国家科学基金会为在美国的作者支付LSC活动费用。活动费用为LSC研究员计划提供资金，该计划使初级合作成员能够对探测器地点进行长期访问。在那里，他们与现场导师一起改进仪器或校准和审查原始数据。该奖项将用于培养新一代物理学家、引力波科学专家，以及构建和部署复杂科学仪器、分析大型数据集和与公众沟通方面的专家。直接探测引力波的目标在2015年实现了，探测到了来自双黑洞合并GW150914的引力波。2017年，LSC和室女座对双中子星合并GW170817的探测开启了多信使引力波天文学的现代时代。该奖项使LSC能够执行其利用引力波探索重力基础物理学的科学使命，同时还支持：合作论文的出版费用，包括提供开放获取的费用；LSC发言人及参与LSC相关服务活动的会员的差旅费；用于托管身份和访问管理的计算服务，并支持协作使用GitLab；一个管理员，帮助管理一个有超过1500名成员的协作。有效和高效的LSC管理，LSC成员机构对现场活动的更多参与，以及支持计算工具和基础设施，促进成员之间更容易的合作，都有助于推进LSC建立引力波天文学领域的目标。培养一批受过引力波科学训练并在天文台有第一手经验的物理学家，是引力波领域成功发展的关键。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。