| NSF Org: |
OISE Office of International Science and Engineering |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 29, 2017 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 12, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 1743747 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Maija Kukla
mkukla@nsf.gov (703)292-4940 OISE Office of International Science and Engineering O/D Office Of The Director |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2017 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $5,678,833.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $5,678,833.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
845 N PARK AVE RM 538 TUCSON AZ US 85721 (520)626-6000 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
888 N Euclid Ave Tucson AZ US 85719-4824 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
GALACTIC ASTRONOMY PROGRAM, OFFICE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY AC, COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS, PIRE- Prtnrshps Inter Res & Ed |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.079 |
ABSTRACT
PI: Dimitrios Psaltis (University of Arizona)
co-PIs: Sheperd Doeleman (Harvard University)
Charles Gammie (University of Illinois)
Daniel Marrone (University of Arizona)
Feryal Ozel (University of Arizona)
Non-Technical Explanation:
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is an Earth-sized array of telescopes that aims to obtain the first ever images of astrophysical black holes and test Einstein's theory of general relativity in extreme conditions. The project is inherently international and multidisciplinary, involving telescopes and institutions on five continents and requiring expertise in areas ranging from detector development to high-performance computing and theoretical physics. The PIRE project team will integrate researchers in the U.S., Germany, Mexico, and Taiwan and usher astronomical projects, such as the EHT, into the era of big and distributed data science. The PIRE award will fund activities in detector development, in mounting coordinated observations, in fast data transfer between partner institutions, and in cloud computing that will realize the scientific potential of the observations. The project activities, summer schools, and webinars will enable the education of students and early career researchers with internationally collaborative, hands-on experience in state-of-the-art instrumentation technology, high-performance computing, and big data science. The PIRE will also provide critical experience to young researchers in navigating large, complex international collaborations. The tools developed under this PIRE award will be openly available to the broader community to directly benefit all other projects that rely on distributed resources and expertise. The compelling combination of the first images of black holes, the visually stunning results of computer simulations, and the use of virtual reality tools will engage the public in the fascinating astrophysics of black holes and inspire aspiring and future STEM students.
Technical Description:
The EHT generates data and computational products distributed on a global scale at a rate that pushes the limits of the current infrastructure for sharing and analysis. The proposed PIRE award will support the goal of studying black holes with the EHT at unprecedented angular resolution by funding activities to develop: (i) advanced technologies to increase the efficiency of observations; (ii) algorithms for optimizing the scheduling and triggering of world-wide campaigns; (iii) infrastructure to facilitate fast transfer and sharing large volumes of data among participating institutions; and (iv) cloud computing frameworks to realize the scientific potential of the observations by supporting advanced modeling and analysis efforts. The unique opportunities that the international partners bring to the PIRE project include developing the infrastructure that accelerates the worldwide sharing of data, tools, and resources in order to fundamentally transform the way international and multifaceted collaborations, such as the EHT, are utilized. The proposed PIRE award will engage undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates in a three-continent project with annual summer schools alternating between the four member countries. This will be augmented by monthly webinars, hackathons, and regular exchange visits among partner institutions. The educational outcome of this collaboration will be monitored and continuously improved by using advanced assessment tools.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
This Black Hole PIRE project supports the science utilization of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project and beyond. It embarked on an ambitious journey to capture the first-ever images of astrophysical black holes, thus testing Einstein's theory of general relativity under extreme conditions. These groundbreaking results were a true testament to international collaboration, bringing together expertise from the fields of astronomical instrumentation, high-performance computing, and theoretical astrophysics around the world. Over 80 papers were published with PIRE’s support.
Black Hole PIRE’s scope extended beyond mere scientific discovery, placing a strong emphasis on the educational development of students and early career researchers in advanced technology, big data science, and the intricacies of navigating large-scale international collaborations. It was centered around four thrusts:
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Digital Technology Development: This involved the creation of innovative tools essential for producing the first images of supermassive black holes. A significant achievement was the development of a digital backend for the EHT, enhancing the efficiency and precision of observations.
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Global Observations: Coordinating observation campaigns across multiple international observatories, this effort was pivotal in collecting synchronized, high-quality data necessary for black hole imaging.
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Data Access, Sharing, and Analysis: The project established robust infrastructure for rapid data transfer and sharing among participating institutions worldwide. This was complemented by the development and deployment of cloud computing infrastructures and tools, which played a critical role in processing, calibrating, and analyzing EHT data. This work directly led to the first images of supermassive black holes at the center of the M87 galaxy and our Milky Way.
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Distributed High-Performance Computing: Leveraging cloud computing technology, the project supported advanced modeling and analysis, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in astrophysical research. This work has created the largest black hole images simulation libraries to date, and are still being used in EHT’s theory and interpretation work.
The Black Hole PIRE project significantly enhanced the educational and training aspects of black hole and computational astrophysics. This encompassed:
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Hands-On Training Initiatives: Through Docker/Jupyter and HDF5 data hackathons, participants gained practical hands-on skills in data handling and analysis.
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Webinars: Covering a wide range of scientific and technical themes, these sessions expanded the knowledge base of participants. All the PIRE webinars are available on PIRE’s science youtube channel.
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International Collaboration: Partnerships with our international collaborators have facilitated scholar and student visits, enriching their research and educational experience.
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Student Participation: The project supported a significant number of students at various educational levels, including 12 postdocs, 18 graduate students, and 36 undergraduate students across 10 participating institutions.
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Specialized Schools and Workshops: Events like the Winter School for HPC and Cloud Computing and the CASPER/PIRE workshop offered in-depth training in specific areas. Recording of the CASPER/PIRE workshops is also made available on PIRE’s science youtube channel.
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High School Engagement: Nationally, PIRE collaborated with Zoom to conduct “Zoom Classroom” to promote black hole astrophysics across the US. Locally, PIRE facilitated field trips for high school students, fostering early interest in STEM fields.
In supporting and promoting open science, all data processing software, pipelines, and tools developed under the PIRE project have been made publicly accessible on the PIRE GitHub Organization. Many of these tools are also “dockerized” as ready-to-deploy containers and made available on Docker Hub, ensuring reproducibility and ease of use in data processing. This open-source approach not only benefits the EHT project but also serves as a valuable resource for the broader astronomy community.
The Black Hole PIRE grant played a pivotal role in the successful imaging of supermassive black holes, marking a significant milestone in astrophysics. More than just a scientific endeavor, the project was a catalyst for educational growth, international collaboration, and the development of innovative technologies in big data and high-performance computing. The legacy of this project will continue to inspire and shape future generations of scientists and researchers.
Last Modified: 01/17/2024
Modified by: Chi-Kwan Chan
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