1. WVU Center for Astrophysics and NRAO Green Bank
Maura McLaughlin, Associate Professor (WVU)
Richard Prestage, Scientist (Green Bank)

2. WVU Center for Astrophysics
Faculty: Anderson, Lorimer, McLaughlin, McWilliams, Pisano
Adjunct faculty: Lockman, O'Neil, Frayer
Staff: Garver-Daniels, Moore
Postdoctoral research associates: Huerta, Levin, Zhang
Grad students: Armentrout, Cardoso, Chennamangalam, Cui, Gentile, Hough, Johnstone, Jones, Miller, Palliyaguru, Rabidoux, Seymour, Swiggum, Wolfe

3. Astrophysics Courses Graduate courses (every other year)
Radio Astronomy (Fall '13)
Computational Astrophysics (Spring '14)
Stellar Structure (Fall '14)
Galactic Astronomy (Spring '13)
General Relativity (Fall '14)
more courses to follow...
We also encourage/support student participation in summer schools as well as extended visits to collaborating institutions.

4. Current research interests
Neutron Stars: Lorimer, McLaughlin
Gravitational Waves: Lorimer, McLaughlin, McWilliams
Galaxy formation/evolution: Pisano, (O'Neil)
Star formation: Anderson, Pisano
Radio Transients: Lorimer, McLaughlin
Galactic astronomy: Pisano, (Lockman), Anderson
Not just radio astronomy...
gamma-rays, x-rays, optical, infrared...

5. Resources National and international observatories
- in particular Green Bank, WV
Dedicated Linux clusters

6. Pulsars: nature's finest clocks
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that are the remnants of massive stars.
They have strong magnetic fields that are responsible for light being beamed from the magnetic poles.
Pulsars are the most stable clocks in the universe and serve as excellent tools to study fundamental physics.
Search → Time → Probe fundamental physics → Learn about populations

7. A unique niche - GW detectors
We can use changes in the arrival time of stable pulsars to search for gravitational waves.
A worldwide network of telescopes is currently timing pulsars in a “pulsar timing array”.
This complements existing ground-based gravitational wave detectors.

8. Detecting Gravitational Waves
9/16/2018
Sensitivity improves with each new pulsar...

9. High-school students have so far discovered six new pulsars! 10

10. Collaborations with, and Opportunities at NRAO Green Bank

11. NRAO Green Bank World’ s premiere single-dish radio telescope
Active development program
Astronomers, mechanical, electronic and software engineers
On-site housing

12. Opportunities for Students
Winter / May terms (two week REU precursor)
REU (research experience for undergraduates)
Undergraduate Interns
Co-ops (multiple return)
Undergraduate Senior Projects
Graduate Students
On-site housing available

13. Example Projects Development of a FPGA based pulsar backend
Hardware developed from reconfigurable off-the-shelf platforms (IBOB's and BEE2) and software tools that allow rapid deployment of astronomical signal processing systems.
Numerical modeling of dynamic track loading that includes walking behavior.
There is no numerical model that includes the behavior of rail creep in the direction of travel
Without a model that includes this phenomenon significant rail stresses may be being overlooked. This project is applicable to all heavily loaded tracks. Besides us this included railroads, stadium roofs, heavy cranes etc.

14. Summary Rapidly growing research group Broad range of graduate courses
Excellent ties to external facilities, with 500 hours of GBT time available through contract with NRAO
Excellent computational facilities
Established radio astronomy center
Future gravitational wave center
Many student opportunities at Green Bank

15. All of this depends on our students!
February 15th graduate application deadline
Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) fellowship program offers full tuition, stipend, mentoring, and travel funding for five years.
Contact Maura McLaughlin at
maura.mclaughlin at mail.wvu.edu
to discuss opportunities or to arrange a WVU visit!
Richard Prestage at:
rprestag at nrao.edu
for a Green Bank visit!