Physics Students Present Poster in Gravitational-wave Conference in Louisiana
Prottoy Samir and Emma Derrick attended the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra March 2024 Conference in Louisiana, where they presented their work on optical coating studies. The poster was titled "Surface and Defect Characterization of a Ta2O5-separated GeTiOx/SiO2 coating vs Annealing". The conference is an opportunity to explore new areas of research in optics, connect with colleagues and students that do similar research, and experience a scientific conference.
We are also thrilled that Emma's dedication to research was recognized in 2024 with the highly prestigious Goldwater Foundation Scholarship award!
Physics Student Presents Poster in Conference in Toyama, Japan
Left: Kace Colby is a Junior in the Physics Program at Bard. He has done extensive research in experimental Optics. Here, Kace is presenting his poster the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA September 2023 Meeting, at the Toyama Conference Center in Japan.
Right: 3 kilometer (1.9 mi) tunnel in the Kamioka mines. The tunnel is one of two long tunnels housing the KAGRA Gravitational-wave detector.
Physics students publish work in Optics
Physics students working in the Gravitational-wave Optics Lab (GOLab) publish in a peer-reviewed journal their work related to making better mirrors for future gravitational-wave observatories. The paper describes a novel technique to measure the size of defects on mirrors used in precision experiments such as GW interferometers and quantum optics. These kind of measurements lead to the development of new material that will allow precision experiments to reach new limits in metrology. The article in the journal Applied Optics can be found here.
For more information: contact Antonios Kontos at akontos(at)bard.edu
News from the Physics Program
Bard Professor Antonios Kontos Awarded $351,951 Grant from the National Science Foundation
Antonios Kontos, associate professor and director of physics at Bard College, has been awarded a research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Kontos’ proposal, titled “Stray Light Control for Cosmic Explorer,” has been awarded a total of $351,951 in funding over a period of three years, which will also cover student salaries, travel, and equipment. “Try to imagine a telescope that can hear every collision between two stars in the universe. That is what we are creating with the Cosmic Explorer detector,” said Kontos.
Bard Professor Antonios Kontos Awarded $351,951 Grant from the National Science Foundation
“Try to imagine a telescope that can hear every collision between two stars in the universe. That is what we are creating with the Cosmic Explorer detector,” said Kontos. “This award will allow students at Bard the opportunity to contribute to this remarkable project over the next three years.”
Gravitational-wave astronomy, a subfield of astronomy focusing on the detection and study of gravitational waves emitted by astrophysical sources, has now opened a new window to the universe, which—along with conventional telescopes—significantly broadens our understanding of astrophysics and cosmology. The Cosmic Explorer project is a concept for a next-generation gravitational-wave observatory in the US, which will enable the detection of nearly every black-hole collision in the observable universe. The NSF award will allow a team of scientists and engineers to produce this initial conceptual design, and to develop technologies to facilitate the eventual realization of the Cosmic Explorer. The project will be undertaken in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology, which received a separate grant for the initiative.
The NSF is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and US territories. It was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the nation’s health, prosperity and welfare, and to secure the US national defense. Its investments account for about 25% of federal support to US colleges and universities for research driven by curiosity and discovery. NSF aims to keep the US at the leading edge of discovery in science and engineering, to the benefit of all, without barriers to participation.
Post Date: 09-10-2024
Bard Physicists Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Li-Heng Henry Chang ’23, Ziyu Xu ’23, and Shea Roccaforte ’21 Coauthor Cover Story in the American Journal of Physics
Associate Professor of Physics Paul Cadden-Zimansky and three recent Bard graduates Li-Heng Henry Chang ’23, Ziyu Xu ’23, and Shea Roccaforte ’21, have coauthored the cover story in the July 2024 issue of the American Journal of Physics. Their peer-reviewed research article, “Geometric visualizations of single and entangled qubits,” presents a new way of visualizing the phenomenon of quantum entanglement between two interacting objects.
Bard Physicists Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Li-Heng Henry Chang ’23, Ziyu Xu ’23, and Shea Roccaforte ’21 Coauthor Cover Story in the American Journal of Physics
Post Date: 07-09-2024
Bard Alumnae Michelle Reynoso ’22 and Julia Sheffler ’22 Honored by National Science Foundation
Bard alumna Michelle Reynoso ’22 (BHSEC Manhattan ’18) has been awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in support of her graduate work in materials research at Columbia University. Julia Sheffler ’22 has also been awarded an honorable mention by the NSF for her work in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bard Alumnae Michelle Reynoso ’22 and Julia Sheffler ’22 Honored by National Science Foundation
Post Date: 04-09-2024