Summer Intern
Max Planck Institute For Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
Hannover, Germany
Gravitational waves are produced by accelerating masses, as predicted by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. To detect them, we use Michelson interferometers, which employ laser interference to measure differences in distance along two paths. I worked on commissioning subsystems of one such interferometer: the 10 meter Prototype. Too small to detect gravitational waves, the 10 meter Prototype will be used to test technology for future-generation interferometers. As an undergraduate intern, I worked independently in the morning, and then worked with the small groups, each working on their own subsystem of the 10m prototype, into the evening. While I mostly worked on aligning and mode-matching the 21 meter frequency reference cavity in clean room gear and installing the intensity stabilization servo, I could be pulled away at any moment to help with assembling the seismically stabilized optical tables, lend a hand to the graduate student trying to align the thermal noise interferometer, or even review the English of a graduate student's paper. When not working full-time, I enjoyed traveling and absorbing the German culture. I was alpine-rescued while rock climbing in the Alps, watched amateur boxers fight carnival attendees in a booth at Hannover's Marksman's Fair, and endured a long weekend of bus rides to attend a rained-out day of tennis at Wimbledon, among other adventures.