PIRE: Black Hole Astrophysics in the Era of Distributed Resources and Expertise

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

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.