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Abstract:

At this Web site students will work with scientific data from LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. Students will design and execute an inquiry-based investigation in much the same way as a professional scientist. e-Lab tools will facilitate collaboration between students as they develop their projects and report their results.

Read about the website features that guide and support student research.

Introduction to Research:

LIGO's huge laser interferometers in Washington State and in Louisiana listen for the faint ripples of space-time called gravitational waves. LIGO seeks to detect gravitational waves from the collisions of black holes or neutron stars and from star explosions known as supernovae. These interferometers are capable of measuring movements that are smaller than one thousandth of the diameter of a proton. Because the detectors are built on the ground, vibrations of the ground can affect their operation. Consequently, LIGO closely monitors ground vibrations through an array of seismometers that are mounted at each Observatory. Students can use data from these seismometers to explore a wide vareity of seismic questions, many of which will have a connection to LIGO's science operations.

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Before doing the LIGO e-Lab, students should be comfortable with these skills:

• Make simple measurements
• Make simple calculations
• Interpret simple graphs
• Write a research question
• Make a research plan

We provide a refresher for students who need to brush up on these skills. Students access these from "The Basics" section of the project milestones.

Learner Outcomes and Assessment:

Here are the e-Lab outcomes that students must demonstrate:

• Content and Investigation:
  • Describe some basic concepts of wave behavior such as speed, arrival time, frequency and amplitude in the context of seismic activity.
  • Describe several factors that cause changes in LIGO's seismic data
  • Explain how LIGO's measurement of seismic waves contributes to the project's effort to detect gravitational waves.
  • Design an investigation that asks a testable hypothesis, which can be answered from seismic data and provides an explanation of what you learn about seismic data.
• Process:
  • Explain the data collection process.
  • Collect, organize and analyze data to obtain meaningful findings.
  • Use the data to provide evidence to support their claims.
• Computing:
  • Explain why they used specific computing resources in their analysis.
• Literacy:
  • Demonstrate an ability to express meaning in writing (such as in science notebooks, reports) and come to agreement about meaning with others (such as peer review, discussion).

Assessment is aligned to learner outcomes. While many teachers will want to design their own assessments, we provide some options.

• Rubrics: Content & Investigation, Process, Computing, Literacy and Poster
• e-Logbooks: Track progress and provide feedback on student work.
  Review students' evidence of what they know/understand and reflections on their research.
  Review all students' entries for a particular milestone and make notes in your logbook for next year. Look at this sample logbook.
• Milestone Seminars: Check student understanding before they move from one section of the project milestones to another.

Research Question:

Developing a good research question is one of the most challenging parts of the e-Lab for many students. A good research question provides a framework around which the students can build a research plan. Good research questions are testable. "How often do earthquakes happen?" might not be a helpful research question since it doesn't point to a deeper cause-and-effect relationship. "Is there a relationship between how often earthquakes happen and where they happen (epicenter)?" is a better question because the researcher will inevitably be faced with cause-and-effect connections as the reserch plan unfolds. The LIGO e-Lab provides the opportunity for many good research questions based on earthquakes. Students should look through the on-line discussion rooms to gain ideas for research questions.