Joseph Kovalik

Career Objectives
I am interested in high precision, low noise experimental physics.


Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA, USA.
Ph.D. in physics, September 1994.
Thesis title: A Study of Thermal Noise.
My thesis studied the thermal noise in interferometric gravity wave detectors, in particular the LIGO Project.  The major part of the experimental work involved designing and building a special purpose interferometer to measure the off--resonance mechanical thermal noise in a piece of fused quartz.  The measured noise was 2X10-17m/Hz1/2 at frequencies from 500 Hz to 20 kHz.  This was the first time that an experiment attempted to measure the thermal noise in a mechanical system over a broad bandwidth and with such high sensitivity.

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.
B.S. with Honour in physics, June, 1986.

Work Experience
9/99--present  LIGO project, Livingston Laboratory, Scientist.
Pre-stabilised laser liaison for interferometer.
Working on commissioning interferometer so that it functions at desired sensitivity.

3/95--8/99  VIRGO Project, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare,  Perugia, Italy,   Scientist.
Worked on understanding the thermal noise limits of the VIRGO interferometer both experimentally and theoretically. Research object is to develop interferometric techniques to measure distance displacements on the order of 10-18 m at frequencies from 10 Hz to a few hundred Hz.
Developed a facility that can measure a pendulum Q of up to 2X107 at 1 Hz for a 20 kg mass.
Developed a facility to measure interferometrically the internal Q of VIRGO test masses.
Developed a facility to measure the losses in test mass suspension wires.
Developed an interferometric facility to measure the creep noise in  test mass suspension wires.
Worked on the final design of the last stage VIRGO suspension.

9/94--1/95 Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Post--Doctoral Research Associate.
Continued thermal noise research on the LIGO Project.

9/86--9/94  Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,  Research Assistant.
Developed optical ``shadow'' position sensors and magnetic actuators for the damping system in a pendular vibration isolation system.

9/86--9/94  6/82--6/86  Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology. Undergraduate research under Prof. J. Kirschvink involving a search for magnetic monopoles using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID).


Publications List

Research Statement

Teaching Statement
Professional Memberships
American Physical Society
Tau Beta Pi
Caltech Alumni Association


Personal Information

Contact Information
 
LIGO Livingston Observatory
P.O. Box 940
Livingston, LA  70754

This page last updated on July2, 2001.