Faculty Advisor: AI Software Engineering Manager, Carnegie Learning; Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University

Program Start Time: TBD (meetings will take place for around one hour per week)

Research Practicum Introduction

Gravitational waves, a cutting-edge frontier in physics and astronomy, were first detected in 2015, marking a century-long quest's pinnacle. In this program, students can delve into the mysteries of gravitational waves, exploring detection methods and analyzing data from the LIGO experiment.

Throughout the program, students will embark on a captivating journey through the fundamentals of gravitational wave theory, unraveling the intricate mechanisms that govern their propagation through space-time. From Einstein's groundbreaking predictions to the advanced experimental techniques employed in their detection, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of this cutting-edge field. Moreover, with hands-on experience working with data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) experiment, students will be at the forefront of gravitational wave research, analyzing real-world data and uncovering insights into the nature of our universe.

Possible Topics For Final Project

• Use LIGO data to recreate the analysis that won the 2017 Nobel prize in physics.

• Choose a gravitational-wave event and dive deep into the properties of the black holes or neutron stars that were involved in it. (This can really branch off into dozens of unique  projects) 

• Carry out a meta-analysis of all of (or a set of) the detected gravitational wave events

• Focus on visualization and create time series and frequency domain plots of gravitational  wave signals. 

• Convert a gravitational wave signal into an audio file to hear its “chirp” 

• SPECIAL PROJECT (Optional): • Build a physical miniature replica of a gravitational wave detector (students might have to  independently purchase components costing around $500). 

• Or other topics in this subject area that you are interested in, and that your professor approves after discussing it with you.

Program Detail

• Cohort Size: 3-5 students

• Duration: 12 weeks

• Workload: Around 4-5 hours per week (including class time and homework time)

• Target Students: 9-12th grade students who are interested in physics, astrophysics, gravity, relativity or other related fields.