THE ROTARY CLUB OF SYRACUSE • CLUB #42 • ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 7150 • CHARTERED 1912 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 2017 This Week's Program: Gravitational Waves A Look Ahead SU's College of Arts & Sciences' Group FEBRUARY 24 Program Committee 12:00 pm these electromagnetic RCS Club Meeting Gravitational Waves waves cannot, allowing us PP Peter Seiffert (2009-10) presiding are one of the most re- to directly observe black UPSTAIRS MEMBERS LOUNGE markable predictions holes and other massive Program of Einstein's theory of objects in the distant Peter Saulson's Gravitational Waves general relativity. These Universe. Since the grav- MARCH 3 waves are ripples in the itational waves we will observe are generated by 12:00 pm curvature of spacetime which carry information very strong gravitational RCS Club Meeting fields, precision measure- PP Brad Strait (1994-95) presiding about the changing grav- ments of these waves will Program itational fields of distant Physicist Peter R. Saulson also allow us to perform Jane Amico of Centerstate CEO sources. Although you can generate gravitational unprecedented tests of MARCH 9 waves just by shaking your fist, to gen- the general theory of relativity. 6:00 pm erate gravitational waves strong enough A world-wide effort to detect gravita- New RCS Member Social to be detectable with current technolo- tional waves is now underway, with de- Onondaga Room at Drumlins gy needs extremely dense, massive ob- tectors in the United States, Germany, Italy and Japan. The U.S. Laser Inter- MARCH 10 jects, such as black holes and neutron stars, and moving at very high speeds. ferometer Gravitational-wave Obser- 11:00 am By measuring gravitational waves, we vatory (LIGO) has recently completed RCS Board of Directors hope to learn about systems that cannot the remarkable task of taking one year March Meeting be observed with existing means, such of data coincident between its three de- 12:00 pm as optical, radio, infrared, etc. Gravi- tectors at design sensitivity. This data RCS Club Meeting see NAS RECOGNIZES page 2 >> PP Brad Strait (1994-95) presiding tational waves can penetrate regions Program Church of the Holy Family LAST-MINUTE SYRACUSE ROTARY VENUE CHANGE (2016-17 Grant Recipient) The February 24 Club meeting will be in the Upstairs Member Lounge MARCH 17 In his early days, Einstein postulated that the correct inter- 11:00 am pretation of the special theory of relativity must also fur- Syracuse Rotary Foundation March Trustee Meeting nish a theory of gravitation and in 1916 he published his paper on the general theory of relativity. During this time 12:00 pm he also contributed to the problems of the theory of radia- RCS Club Meeting tion and statistical mechanics. PP J. Gladziszewski (1995-96) presiding Program Einstein always appeared to have a clear view of the prob- Syracuse City School District lems of physics and the determination to solve them. He Superintendent had a strategy of his own and was able to visualize the main stages on the way to his goal. z

PRESIDENT PRESIDENT-ELECT SECRETARY TREASURER SERGEANT-AT-ARMS ROBERT SHERBURNE MARYLIN GALIMI MICHAEL GEORGE DAN MORROW HAROLD SCHUMM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

NAS Recognizes Saulson from pg. 1 SU's Contribution to Einstein's may contain the first gravitational waves to be seen. Upgrades to the LIGO and Virgo detec- Research on Gravity Waves tors are underway to increase their sensitivity. A Research group devoted to Einstein's theory of gravity new window has been opened on the universe and the detection of gravitational radiation is www.syracuse.com | February 15, 2016 one of the most eagerly anticipated events of twenty-first century physics. Since 1947, has been a player in the pursuit of Through its membership of the LIGO Scien- proving Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. tific Collaboration, the Syracuse Gravitational That's when one of Einstein's research assistants at Princeton Uni- Wave Group is contributing to the search for versity, Peter Bergmann, started working at SU. He put the SU's gravitational waves in LIGO and Virgo data physics department on the map as one of the main centers for the and is helping to develop techniques which will development of quantum gravity - an outgrowth of Einstein's theory. be used to improve the advanced generation of SU was the first university in the United States that had a research detectors. group specially devoted to Einstein's theory of gravity, SU physicist Peter Saulson has a Ph. D. and an A. M. in Peter Saulson said. Physics, both from as well Jump ahead a half-century. SU's physics department was a major as an A. B. magna cum laude in Physics from player in a discovery from deep space that confirms the final piece of Harvard College. Mr. Saulson is currently a Einstein's theory. Faculty members of the department were among Martin A. Pomerantz ’37 Professor of Phys- 1,000 scientists across the world involved in the Laser Interferome- ics at Syracuse University and Adjunct Pro- ter Gravitational-Wave Observatory experiment. It was designed to fessor of Physics at Louisiana State University. hunt for the elusive gravitational waves from two telescopes on Earth. Saulson is the author of dozens of publications In 1991, Saulson became the first person outside of MIT or Caltech pertaining to gravitational wave detection from funded by the National Science Foundation for LIGO-related re- the data collected at the LIGO and Virgo ob- search. Those are the project's two parent institutions. servatories. SU's role since then has been developing the technology needed In January Peter was named a co-recipient of for LIGO and its two massive telescopes - one in Louisiana and the the 2017 NAS (U.S. National Academy of Sci- other in the state of Washington - and the development of software ences) Award for Scientific Discovery. Saulson that can find signals like the one just found. The team also included is joined by Gabriela González G’95, professor professor Steven Penn at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State Geneva. University (and, coincidentally, his first Ph.D. In SU's physics labs, faculty and students researched where mirrors student at Syracuse), and David Howard Reit- should be hung in the LIGO telescopes and what material should be ze, executive director of the LIGO Laboratory used for the mirrors and even the wires that held them up. The wires at the California Institute of Technology and ended up being made of glass because it created less internal noise professor of physics at the University of Flor- that would've interfered with LIGO's search for signals from outer ida. All three have served as spokespersons for space. the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. "If you pick the wrong material, the instrument itself will rumble Saulson, along with González and Reitze, will too much," Saulson said. be recognized at the academy’s annual meet- Another current SU physics professor, Duncan Brown, played a big ing on Sunday, April 30, in Washington, D.C., role in LIGO. He was a renowned expert on writing computer pro- where he will receive a gold-plated bronze grams that analyzed data for signals like those that LIGO hoped to medal and will share a $50,000 cash prize and find. Brown wrote the code for the data analysis software for binary $50,000 to support his group’s research at Syr- z star systems used by LIGO, Saulson said. acuse. "Other people have ideas, but his have been the most successful and the result that we released (last week) came from the software PLEASE NOTE: that his team developed," Saulson said. Another SU role: it contributed the use of its computers at the SYRACUSE ROTARY MEETING LOCATIONS The following dates are Syracuse Rotary meetings moved Green Data Center, plus the unused computer cycles of the desk- from where we usually meet in The Onondaga Room to top computers campus-wide while people weren't using them. Those the Upstairs Members Lounge at Drumlins: desktop computers worked overnight as a collective super computer February 24 | March 10 | April 7 | May 12 | June 9 to analyze gravity wave data from LIGO. z

Page - 2 SYRACUSE ROTARY PRESS syracuserotary.org's Identity Updated REGISTER NOW for In keeping with Rotary International's newest identi- "People of Action Dinner" ty standards, which were drastically changed in 2014, our Club's web presence has been updated and now incorpo- honoring Ian Riseley, rates RI's new logos, color schemes, and typefaces. Admire RI President Elect our new website by pointing your web browser to: • Saturday, March 18, 2017 www.syracuserotary.org • Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel, 801 University Ave, Who Was Martin A. Pomerantz Syracuse 13210 • 6pm Cocktails & 7pm Dinner Pomerantz received a Centennial Medal followed by an address from RI from Syracuse University in 1970 PE Ian Riseley The venue is limited • $40 per person includes to 300 guests, so this www.wikipedia.com | so it must be true parking in adjacent garage event will sell out. Do Martin Arthur Pomerantz (December 17, 1916 – Octo- • Register online: not wait to register! www.rotary7150.org/Page/ ber 26, 2008) was an American physicist who served as Di- people-of-action-dinner rector of the Bartol Research Institute and who had been a leader in developing Antarctic astronomy. When the astro- The number of nomical observatory at the United States Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station was opened in 1995, it was named the cards left in the Martin A. Pomerantz Observatory (MAPO) in his honor. Queen of Hearts Pomerantz published his scientific autobiography, Astron- drawing as of omy on Ice, in 2004. February 24. Pomerantz was born and raised in New York City, and 29 graduated from Manual Training High School in Brook- RCS PRESIDING-PAST-PRESIDENTS lyn. In 1937, Pomerantz received an A.B. in physics from Syracuse University. He received an M.S. from the Uni- For his second time this month, PP versity of Pennsylvania in 1938 when he joined the Bartol Peter Seiffert (2009-10) will lead Research Foundation, where he spent nearly his entire ca- us this Friday as the presiding-Past reer. He became a permanent member of the Foundation's President. From the lectern, for the scientific staff in 1943 and in 1951, he received his Ph.D. following two weeks, PP Bradley in physics from Temple University for a thesis based on his Strait (1994-95) will guide the extensive scientific work at Bartol. Club's Friday meetings. In 1977, Pomerantz presided over the Foundation's move from its original location at Swarthmore College to its present location at the University of Delaware. Despite SYRACUSE ROTARIAN BIRTHDAY Pomerantz' efforts, Swarthmore had decided not to renew its 50-year contract with Bartol. DENNIS "DENNY" The Bartol Research Foundation was renamed the Bar- BALDWIN tol Research Institute following the move to Delaware. Pomerantz stepped down as the Institute's president in Birthday: February 19 1987 and was replaced as president by Norman F. Ness. In Joined: September 1968 1990, Pomerantz retired, becoming a professor emeritus at the Institute and at the University of Delaware. Pomerantz had served on the board of trustees for the If you have not yet made a pledge to Syracuse Franklin Institute and edited the Journal of the Franklin Rotary's 2016-17 Annual P&C Fund Drive, Institute and also served on the editorial board for Space please make your contribution today. Science Reviews. Pomerantz' scientific papers and doc- We have yet to achieve our $10,000 / 100% uments have been archived at the American Institute of Physics and at the University of Delaware. z participation goal and still need your help!

Page - 3 SYRACUSE ROTARY PRESS www.syracuserotary.org | James Morrow, editor

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017