Blog 21: Exit Interview

Content:

1.) What is your essential question, and what are your answers? What is your best answer and why?- My essential question is "What is the best solution for detecting gravitational waves?" 

• My first answer is interferometry, which deals with detecting changes in laser paths.
• My second answer is pulsar timing arrays which acts like incredibly precise clocks in space.
• My third answer is Weber Bars which are large aluminum cylinder that have to be isolated to detect waves.

The best solution for detecting gravitational waves currently is strongly taken by interferometry. Interferometry is the most widely used gravitational wave detector in the world at the moment, and offers precision and familiarity. Interferometry offers so much to scientists and astronomers at the present. This form of detection is used because of it runs off of “free masses”. This essentially means that interferometers are disconnected from any outside forces that are unnecessary. This includes phenomena like earthquakes, radio noise, and wind. These are all “noise” that could interfere with the experiment. Because of the fact that they are “free”, interferometers are currently the most precise.

2.) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
- The process that I took to solidify interferometry as my answer was mainly scientific research as well as my mentorship. My research process outside of research checks on Fridays has mainly been looking up articles relating to my topic out of my own curiosity and interest. The best way I have been doing research is by looking up science journals or articles posted on very reliable physics sources. At my mentorship, scientists actually use interferometry and I have seen them work firsthand. As a result, the researchers and scientists have explained to me in great length of the power of interferometers.

3.) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
- The main issues that I faced juggling school while having time to go to mentorship. Since my mentor is a research professor at Caltech, he is only free on Fridays or Saturdays. Sometimes this conflicts with my school course load. I resolved this issue by planning ahead and finishing school assignments early. Another issue that I faced was communicating and explaining such an esoteric topic in layman terms. I have confused many a readers with the scientific jargon, and I have been receiving help to make it much more easier to understand. 

4.) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
- The two most significant sources that I used to answer my EQ were: 

• Feynman, Richard P. QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1985. Print.
• Faesi, Chris. "The Race to Detect Gravitational Waves: Pulsar Timing Arrays." Astrobites. Astrobites, 23 Nov. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

The first source was personally recommended by Mrs. Pittman and was written by Richard Feynman, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. This source talks about light and its various properties and interactions. This was immensely helpful since interferometry deals with long-range lasers, and lasers use photons. My 2nd source was very significant because it supported my 2nd answer saying that it could be the best in the future, but it also explained why interferometry is currently the best.