Graduation theses available on Gravitational Waves (Virgo/LISA)

Gravitational Waves (GW) represent onr of the most fascinating challenges for theoretical and experimental physics research. The research on GW, involves all fields of modern physics, from astrophysics to quantum optics, from cosmology to particle physics.

Many detectors of gravitational waves are spread all around the World; in particular, one of the most sensitive ground-based interferometric GW detectors, VIRGO, is in Italy, near Pisa and it is jointly taking data with the two LIGO interferometric detectors in the USA. Moreover the LISA project – a joint ESA/ASI-NASA project – envisages in the next decade a space-based interferometric detector.

The VIRGO Lab (-2Ma02) and the LISA group in Napoli, offers to students the possibility to actively collaborate with the international scientific community with their graduation thesis, both experimental or theoretical.

Ground-based interferometric detectors around the world

The VIRGO ground interferometer

The LISA Space interferometer

Available experimental graduation thesis arguments :

· Development of innovative fibre-optic optical sensors and electrostatic actuators, suitable for cryogenic temperatures and high vacuum, for next generation GW interferometric detectors.

· Analysis of non linear effects caused by high power lasers in magneto-optic birefrangent crystals in the injection system of last generation GW interferometric detectors.

· Study of the effect of the non-Gaussian component of the injection laser beam on the sensitivity of the AdVirgo 2^nd generation interferometric GW detector, and their compensation.

Data Analysis:

· Development of algorithms for the extraction of GW signal of astrophysical sources, from the signal of ground or space-based interferometric detectors.

· Study of the effect of environmental noises on the signal of the Virgo interferometric GW detector and techniques for their reduction.

· Research of the stochastic background of GW through the joint analysis of the signals of the VIRGO and LIGO interferometric GW detectors.

Theoretical Physics graduation thesis arguments :

· Study of GW waveforms in extended gravitation theories

· Study of GW from the coalescence of compact binary stars

· Search for the correlation between GW emission and gamma ray bursts (theory/phenomenology/data analysis)