LIGO Outreach
Overview of LIGO Science and
Prior Outreach Activities
"Colliding Black Holes"
Credit:
National Center for Supercomputing
Applications (NCSA)
Fred Raab
LIGO Hanford Observatory
November 3, 2003
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LIGO Outreach
Scientific Mission of LIGO
• LIGO’s quest, ~400 yrs after
invention of optical
astronomical telescopes, is to
create a radically new way to
perceive the universe, by
directly listening to the
vibrations of space itself
• LIGO consists of large, hightech, earth-based, detectors
that will act like huge
microphones, listening for
“space quakes” created by
the most violent events in the
universe
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LIGO Outreach
The Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-Wave Observatory
LIGO Hanford
(LHO, Washington)
MIT
3
(+ 03
/- 0
10 km
m
s)
LIGO Livingston
(LLO, Louisiana)
CIT
Funded by the National Science Foundation; operated by Caltech and MIT; the
research focus for about 450 LIGO Science Collaboration members worldwide.
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LIGO Outreach
Focus on Making this Science
Accessible!
• LIGO is 21st century science, rooted in an historic struggle
to understand the universe
• Public finds Einstein, space, time, cosmology, astrophysics
very exciting
• LIGO science is broad and multifaceted:
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General relativity / Astronomy
Optics / Lasers
Engineering (mechanical/electrical/computing/controls)
Environmental (seismic/acoustic/electromagnetic/cosmic-ray)
• Goal is to share the excitement and possibilities of this
science and utilize it to meet critical needs in our
communities
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LIGO Outreach
Customer Base for LIGO
Outreach
• Targeted the observatory communities, represented by
Local Educator Networks:
– Pacific Northwest for Hanford Observatory
• Rural
• Low-income pockets and migrant populations
• Large Hispanic and Native American populations, traditionally
underserved and underrepresented in science
– State of Louisiana for Livingston Observatory
• Rural
• Areas of great poverty with “failing” schools
• Large black population, traditionally underserved and
underrepresented in science
• Products to date:
• Site tours and exhibits, internships, public lectures, pre-/in-service
programs, internet resources, media relations
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LIGO Outreach
Stakeholders for LIGO
Outreach
• Local Educator Networks have been formed to represent
community of stakeholders and to help tailor products to
customer base
• Stakeholders include:
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K-12 teachers and students
College/University faculty and students
General public, families, community organizations
Public institutions, school systems, museums, etc.
Professional scientific and engineering organizations
Business community
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LIGO Outreach
College/University
Programs
• Goals
– Create a vibrant and intellectually stimulating research environment in
which undergraduate students and faculty can participate
– Welcome participation by regional universities in LIGO research
program
• Accomplishments
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–
–
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“SURF” – Caltech’s REU program - implemented at LHO and LLO
Summer lecture series on LIGO related topics established for SURFers
SURF-a-rama (> 2 doz. REUs congregate at LHO)
Partnered with Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond to
arrange low cost on-campus dorm housing
– In addition to strong participation of LSU, Louisiana Tech University,
Loyola University of New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana University,
Southern University have joined and become active members of LSC
– Salish-Kootenai College (tribal college in MT) active LSC member
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LIGO Outreach
Serving K –12 students and
Teachers
• Goals
– Become a regional enrichment resource for formal science
education for K-12 teachers
– Inspire young people to achieve in science and engineering
• Accomplishments
– Developed tours, visual displays, science lessons, hands on science
exhibits, and fun activities for students visiting LIGO
– Sponsored activities involving youth groups – Boy and Girl scouts,
science clubs, etc.
– Engaging teachers at regional science teacher meetings, making
contact with school district science curriculum coordinators
– Partnered with already established organizations in Louisiana
(Audubon Foundation, Stennis Space Center, LSU, SLU, etc.) to
speak and present at regional activities aimed at K-12
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LIGO Outreach
Serving K –12 students and
Teachers (part 2)
• Accomplishments (continued)
– In Washington, partnered with Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory (PNNL) and Educational Service District (ESD) 123,
Washington State University at Tri-Cities, Gladstone School
District in Oregon, Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science
& Technology, Association for the Advancement of Science
Through Astronomy, Tri-City Astronomy Club
– In Louisiana, built a network of contacts with individuals and
organizations with similar interests – LSU, Southeastern Louisiana
Univ., Southern University, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Delta
Rural Systemic Initiative.
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LIGO Outreach
Serving K –12 students and
Teachers (part 3)
– Scientist-Student-Teacher program started in 1999, involved ~120
students on projects related to LIGO research in AY2003
– LIGO featured in “The Scientific Method on the Job” video for
Middle/High School science; NSF 20-min video in progress
– Distance learning initiative with ESD 123, developed interactive
science program for WA K-20 teleconferencing network
– Teacher interns developed exhibit guide, lesson plans, K20 scripts
and internet resources during summers
– District-level workshops for science teachers
– Teacher internships in summer at LHO and LLO
– Web-disseminated classroom resources for science teaching,
coupled to state standards in Louisiana, Oregon and Washington
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LIGO Outreach
Scientist, Student, Teacher (SST)
At Hanford
• Collaborative research – remote
monitoring of seismic sensors and
wave-height sensors to determine
spectral content of low frequency
ground motion (“microseism”)
• Objective: address the Essential
Academic Learning Requirement
(EALR) on “the nature and methods of
scientific inquiry” by involving classes
in real scientific research
• With Gladstone High School in
Portland, Oregon since 1999
• Last year more than 120 students
participated in grades 9-12; presented
work to community on annual “Science
Night”
November 3, 2003
First annual “Science Night”
at Gladstone High School
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LIGO Outreach
Gladstone High School
Contributions to LIGO Research
• Now have multiple-year record of microseism
• Seasonal variability on high end traced to ocean wave activity using
specific NOAA buoys
– students also measured the wave propagation velocity between buoys by
using a cross-correlation technique
• During quiet season, searched for potential correlation with local
weather patterns
• Demonstrated general insensitivity of microseism band to humangenerated noise by studying day/night statistics
• Reports on Gladstone High School physics web page at
http://www.gladstone.k12.or.us/ghs/users/ingramd/Physics
• Annual community science night draws parents, business leaders, state
legislators and ~100 student presenters
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LIGO Outreach
Research Internships for
Teachers at Livingston
• Two teachers participate in summer research with
interferometer commissioning and development of
enrichment materials to use in classroom
• Materials are web based so that they can be shared
over the internet.
• See
– http://www.ligo-la.caltech.edu/teach.htm
– http://www.ligowa.caltech.edu/teachers_corner/lessons.html
• Use LIGO to reinforce classical concepts – wave
motion, harmonic motion, Galilean relativity,
properties of light, etc.
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LIGO Outreach
Informal Education
• Observatory tours draw 1000s of visitors/yr both in WA
and LA
– Einstein, interferometers, astrophysics and the work that we do.
– Audience comes from professional groups, schools, teacher associations,
boy and girl scouts, families, bicycle club, Model T club, etc.
– Recent “Mars Madness” night drew 20 telescopes and ~1500 skygazers
• Public talks and LIGO Public Lectures
– Annual public lectures bring breaking science to diverse audiences
(typical attendance of several hundred/lecture)
– Rotary/Kiwanis clubs & professional societies
– Adler Planetarium public lecture, as part of “Cosmic Happenings” series
• Cooperative “happenings” w/ other outreach groups
– Wheeler book signing at CREHST museum, Richland, WA
– B-Reactor reunion
– Mars Madness with Tri-City Astronomy Club
• LIGO Video (~20 minute) RFP by NSF
November 3, 2003
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LIGO Outreach
Making site visits meaningful
• We want students and teachers to see more than just a
building and equipment when they visit, so we have
devised various activities and lessons to engage children
(and adults) on many levels:
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LIGO Outreach
Targeting Underserved
Populations
• Hispanics and Native Americans are largest groups near LHO that are
typically underserved by science education and underrepresented in
technical fields
• Salish-Kootenai College (SKC) - near Flathead Lake, Montana –
member, LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC); provides detector
characterization software, establishing Tier-3 GRID center for LIGO
data analysis
• African Americans are largest underserved/underrepresented
community near LLO, with larger Hispanic populations in neighboring
states
• Southern University of Baton Rouge is historically black college near
LLO, member LSC, large in-service program in LA
• University of Texas, Brownsville, member LSC, large Hispanic student
body, involved with LLO
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LIGO Outreach
Outreach to Minority
Students at LLO
• Unique opportunity for outreach to the AfricanAmerican community in Louisiana
• Strong LIGO connection with Southern
University – nation’s largest HBCU system –
through LSC and adjunct appointment to SU
Physics Dept.
• This has provided opportunities to partner with
SU’s own science outreach programs to AfricanAmerican community:
– community groups, churches, Boy and Girl
Scouts, as well as SU students
• We have used this connection to involve
Southern students in the REU program, and to
reach minority teachers through
recommendations from Southern
November 3, 2003
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LIGO Outreach
Summary
• LIGO Science is broad, exciting and needs to be shared
with the public
• LIGO has initiated active outreach efforts and built strong
partnerships in the observatory communities
• We now wish to use this foundation to launch a major
concentrated effort in Louisiana, bringing together best
experience in science, in education, and in exhibiting
science to enhance educational capabilities
• We believe that we have built a collaborative effort that has
the requisite capabilities to deliver educational outcomes
that match the exciting science to come in the future
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