2020/02/28 by Kelly Holley‐Bockelmann, Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly, Jillian Bellovary +50
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #FOS: Physical sciences #General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc) #High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE) #Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2012.02650
openalex publication_date 2020/02/28 · openalex created_date 2022/09/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The NASA LISA Study Team was tasked to study how NASA might support US\nscientists to participate and maximize the science return from the Laser\nInterferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission. LISA is gravitational wave\nobservatory led by ESA with NASA as a junior partner, and is scheduled to\nlaunch in 2034. Among our findings: LISA science productivity is greatly\nenhanced by a full-featured US science center and an open access data model. As\nother major missions have demonstrated, a science center acts as both a locus\nand an amplifier of research innovation, data analysis, user support, user\ntraining and user interaction. In its most basic function, a US Science Center\ncould facilitate entry into LISA science by hosting a Data Processing Center\nand a portal for the US community to access LISA data products. However, an\nenhanced LISA Science Center could: support one of the parallel independent\nprocessing pipelines required for data product validation; stimulate the high\nlevel of research on data analysis that LISA demands; support users unfamiliar\nwith a novel observatory; facilitate astrophysics and fundamental research;\nprovide an interface into the subtleties of the instrument to validate\nextraordinary discoveries; train new users; and expand the research community\nthrough guest investigator, postdoc and student programs. Establishing a US\nLISA Science Center well before launch can have a beneficial impact on the\nparticipation of the broader astronomical community by providing training,\nhosting topical workshops, disseminating mock catalogs, software pipelines, and\ndocumentation. Past experience indicates that successful science centers are\nestablished several years before launch; this early adoption model may be\nespecially relevant for a pioneering mission like LISA.\n