In 1973 Whitcomb graduated with a bachelor's degree physics from Caltech. After a year at the University of Cambridge, he became a physics graduate student at the University of Chicago, where he graduated with a Ph.D. in 1980. His dissertation, supervised by Roger Hildebrand, dealt with astronomy in the far infrared and sub-millimeter wavelengths. In the autumn of 1980 Whitcomb became an assistant professor at Caltech.[3]
Whitcomb joined the gravitational wave effort in 1980 and participated in the early experimental work that proved the feasibility of making such precise measurements. He led the team within the LIGO Laboratory that designed and commissioned the first generation full-scale LIGO detectors. At one point or another, he was involved in virtually every aspect of LIGO’s work.[4]
Kip Thorne and Ronald Drever were the earliest leaders of Caltech's pioneering gravitational wave program. Whitcomb, Siu Au Lee, Robert E. Spero, and Mark Hereld were among the program's first five recruits. In 1985 Whitcomb moved to Northrop Corporation as a research engineer in the electronics division and then became a project manager. From 1989 to 1991 he was a senior system specialist at Loral Electro-Optical Systems. In 1991 he returned to LIGO as deputy director under Director Rochus "Robbie" Vogt, who in 1987 had taken charge of the joint LIGO Project between MIT (where Rainer Weiss worked on laser interferometers) and Caltech.[5] In September 2015 Whitcomb officially retired from LIGO but continued to make various contributions to the project.[6]
^biographical information according to American Men and Women of Science, Thomson Gale 2004
^"Whitcomb, Stanley E. Interview by Heidi Aspaturian. Pasadena, California, April 24, May 8 and 22, June 5 and 19, 2017". Oral History Project, California Institute of Technology.
^ ab"2019 Richard A. Isaacson Award in Gravitational-Wave Science Recipient, Stanley E. Whitcomb, LIGO Laboratory". APS Physics.
^ ab"2017 Henry Draper Medal". National Academy of Sciences.
^"Whitcomb, Stanley. Interview by Shirley K. Cohen. Pasadena, California, March 7 and 14, 1997". Oral History Project, California Institute of Technology Archives.
^ ab"C.E.K. Mees Medal awarded to Stanley Whitcomb". LIGO news. August 20, 2018.
"Whispers from Space: the Detection of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger by Stanley Whitcomb". YouTube. International Centre for Theoretical Sciences. April 8, 2016.
January 01, 1970
stanley, whitcomb, stanley, ernest, whitcomb, born, january, 1951, denver, american, physicist, chief, scientist, laser, interferometer, gravitational, wave, observatory, ligo, project, when, first, direct, detection, gravitational, waves, made, september, 201. Stanley Ernest Whitcomb born January 23 1951 in Denver 1 is an American physicist and was the chief scientist at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory LIGO project when the first direct detection of gravitational waves was made in September 2015 2 Education and career editIn 1973 Whitcomb graduated with a bachelor s degree physics from Caltech After a year at the University of Cambridge he became a physics graduate student at the University of Chicago where he graduated with a Ph D in 1980 His dissertation supervised by Roger Hildebrand dealt with astronomy in the far infrared and sub millimeter wavelengths In the autumn of 1980 Whitcomb became an assistant professor at Caltech 3 Whitcomb joined the gravitational wave effort in 1980 and participated in the early experimental work that proved the feasibility of making such precise measurements He led the team within the LIGO Laboratory that designed and commissioned the first generation full scale LIGO detectors At one point or another he was involved in virtually every aspect of LIGO s work 4 Kip Thorne and Ronald Drever were the earliest leaders of Caltech s pioneering gravitational wave program Whitcomb Siu Au Lee Robert E Spero and Mark Hereld were among the program s first five recruits In 1985 Whitcomb moved to Northrop Corporation as a research engineer in the electronics division and then became a project manager From 1989 to 1991 he was a senior system specialist at Loral Electro Optical Systems In 1991 he returned to LIGO as deputy director under Director Rochus Robbie Vogt who in 1987 had taken charge of the joint LIGO Project between MIT where Rainer Weiss worked on laser interferometers and Caltech 5 In September 2015 Whitcomb officially retired from LIGO but continued to make various contributions to the project 6 In 2002 Whitcomb was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society APS 7 He was elected a Fellow of The Optical Society in 2012 8 He has received several awards 6 3 He received jointly with Barry Barish the Henry Draper Medal in 2017 4 References edit biographical information according to American Men and Women of Science Thomson Gale 2004 Whitcomb Stanley E Interview by Heidi Aspaturian Pasadena California April 24 May 8 and 22 June 5 and 19 2017 Oral History Project California Institute of Technology a b 2019 Richard A Isaacson Award in Gravitational Wave Science Recipient Stanley E Whitcomb LIGO Laboratory APS Physics a b 2017 Henry Draper Medal National Academy of Sciences Whitcomb Stanley Interview by Shirley K Cohen Pasadena California March 7 and 14 1997 Oral History Project California Institute of Technology Archives a b C E K Mees Medal awarded to Stanley Whitcomb LIGO news August 20 2018 APS Fellow Archive APS Physics Stanley E Whitcomb OSA Living History External links editLIGO s Beginning Caltech 2016 Interview Barish Whitcomb Whispers from Space the Detection of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger by Stanley Whitcomb YouTube International Centre for Theoretical Sciences April 8 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Stanley E Whitcomb amp oldid 1212111550, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
