HEPL SEMINAR: Daniel Shaddock, JPL

Dr. Daniel Shaddock,

Interferometry Metrology and Optics Group,

Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Interferometry for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a mission to detect gravitational waves in the frequency band from 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz. The LISA constellation consists of three spacecraft flying in a heliocentric, Earth-trailing orbit, with separations of 5 million kilometers. To detect a passing gravitational wave, the change in separation of the proof masses in different spacecraft must be monitored at the picometer level using laser interferometry. This seminar will give a general overview of the LISA interferometry. Special attention will be given to recent changes in the LISA reference architecture and developments in Time-Delay Interferometry.

Biography:

Daniel Shaddock completed his PhD at the Australian National University in Canberra on advanced interferometry for gravitational wave detection in 2000. His graduate and postdoctoral research focused on techniques for improving the sensitivity of the LIGO gravitational wave detector. This work included demonstrations of several advanced interferometer configurations and the use of squeezed states of light. In 2002 he came to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a National Research Council Research Associate to work on LISA. After becoming a JPL employee in late 2002, he is now the JPL Interferometer Architect for the LISA project.